Empty Nest

I was pregnant and/or nursing for 9 years straight, survived 518 weeks of diaper changing, listened to 46 very shrill band concerts, drove at least 35,000 miles around town in a rowdy minivan, cooked somewhere north of 7200 dinners and endured 8760 days with some very “articulate” teenagers…but it feels like just a minute or two has passed since I very first looked at my oldest daughter’s open eyes.

As we were leaving the hospital with her all buckled in her stain-free-at-the-moment infant seat, I remember wondering if someone was going to stop us to pay for this incredible treasure we were heisting.  Over the following weeks I was constantly staring at her, mesmerized with every feature on her face, almost in disbelief that she was actually mine! 

Now, 25 years later, all 4 children are 19-25 years old and I’m STILL mesmerized—with whatever I see, whether it’s her green hair, the size of the fish he caught, the guitar solo, the new pretty much minimum wage job or the sketch of the tatoo he wants. A Facetime call from California will make me cry every time or when one of the local kids drops by I am over the moon—I just LOVE their faces, they make me happier than anything.

This is why we are so passionate about giving parents a chance to have an heirloom art piece created! I love my family wall portrait because every single day I get to see all of us together and to be reminded that no matter where the kids are at the moment, that we are still as close as ever. Yes, they’re out changing the world, but my nest doesn’t have to feel so empty!