Bittersweet

It's kind of bittersweet when a child gets married and leaves home. 

Pro: One less mouth to feed.

Con: One less person to talk to at the dinner table.

Pro: A spare bed for company.

Con: One less person to keep you company.

Pro: They get to be all grown up and on their own, following their own path.

Con: They no longer need their mommy.

This is not my first rodeo at sending a child out in the world as a married adult,
but it's the first time one of them went more than 30 minutes from the nest
and won't be home for Sunday dinner.

E and C headed out into the great unknown today
to be all grown up and on their own. 

Well, actually they are just going to Rexburg, and they have both lived there before,

 but for a momma...

 it's TOO far away!

It's far enough away that E won't be popping into my work

 to say hi and bring me a cookie or a frozen coke.

I am really happy for them and excited for their new adventure
and that they get to be away from the families and learn to rely on each other.

It reminds me of when I got married and headed out into the big bad world.

It was good for our relationship to be on our own and have to rely on each other...

and live on love!

It made me appreciate my mom more once I was on my own.

I now have the perspective of understanding my mom's tears
 when I left as a grown up married woman.

I now have a better understanding of how my mom felt as her kids all left one by one
and how she felt like we no longer needed her...

To my momma I say this.... 

Forever and always, my mommy you'll be!
I also can't help but consider how our Heavenly Father must have felt
 letting us leave his presence and come to this world...
on our own...
and hope that we would remember Him and need Him...
and have the desire to return home to Him.
Just as I hope that Emma won't forget me ...
and will send me a text now and then or call me once in a while
to let me know her thoughts and feelings...
He must feel the same way in hoping that we will communicate with Him often.
I have to say, that today,
I have a whole new perspective on prayer!