Happy/Sad Days

My summer has been filled with events, most of them happy ones. Between gardening, quilting, and having family and friends over to the new house, life has been full.

Of the greatest importance right now is the fact that daughter Tessa has begun her life's journey. She and granddaughter Lily moved into our house in March/April in anticipation of a job promotion and transfer that was supposed to happen in April. Well, there was a delay and the following months were spent not knowing if she would be offered the same opportunity in August. YES!  She was offered the transfer and needs to be at the new work site by July 23rd.  So, Tessa packed up her car Friday night and took off on a solo road trip to Portland, Maine on Saturday morning.  Saying good by to Lily was hard on both of them and they both spent sometime in tears--Tessa admitted to me that she cried in the car for awhile and Lily spent some time in her room by herself after her mom had left. But they both understand that this is short term pain for (hopefully) long-term gain.  Lily is staying here with us until Tessa gets settled into her new job and community and then Don and I will drive her out so she can begin her life in Maine as well.

Tessa & Lily relaxing after a day at DisneyWorld, May, 2013

How do I feel about my child moving so far away from Wisconsin?  That's a hard question to answer. I've had my youngest, Jo, spend 2 years in Bulgaria in Peace Corps so I've learned to Skype and re-learned how to write letters, so it's not that this is a new thing for me.  Tessa and I, however, have always been close and especially with her having Lily, I've felt a special bond with Tessa that I haven't had with my other daughter. I've helped her parent Lily in a way that wouldn't have happened if she'd not been a single mom. I was with her through paternity hearings, marriage and subsequent divorce, cared for Lily while Tessa went to college and tech school, and have been there to listen to all her frustrations in life as well as her triumphs.  Tessa has struggled with emotional issues and has come a remarkably long way in her journey for emotional stability.  I'm so happy that she has finally reached a point were she's capable both financially and emotionally to make this move. I'm also sad and a little anxious to see how my life will evolve without her woven into it so tightly.

Both of us are having to move on--Tessa and Lily to a bigger and better life in Maine and me to a more fulfilled life here in Wisconsin. Time will tell how this all turns out.

The absolute BEST thing about Tessa and Lily moving to New England is:  I GET TO VISIT MAINE! Even Don says he's looking forward to trips to New England, a part of the country we've never visited. Now if we could only get son Dan to move to the West Coast, and Jo to move to Texas as she's mentioned, we could travel the entire country! ;-)