Tonight our youngest headed back to college. We had a great summer with him, loved every minute of it, and will miss having him around the house. It is a wonderfully joyous event too, as we are so proud of him and his accomplishments, and are excited about him continuing his education. We also are thankful that he is only about an hour away, which helps a lot.

But, it also is another milestone that gives us a huge lump in our throats. We will miss having him at dinner each night, and it again reminds us that it is another milestone that Sam is not here to celebrate with us. In my mind, I can hear his voice, so excited and nervous as he went off to college years ago. I guess what I am trying to say is that we have especially large lumps in our throats tonight. Pride, joy, excitement mingle freely with grief and loss.

Now, it’s time to sit on the deck for a while, watching the hummingbirds, maybe spinning some alpaca fiber for a knitting project, maybe reading for a bit.

Joy and sadness, two parts of all of our daily lives.