Friday, June 14, 2013

All Birds Eventually Leave the Nest

My eldest daughter took the LSAT on Monday. I practically cried about it. Not because I thought she would do poorly. Based on the price of the LSAT prep course she enrolled in and the seemingly endless hours she studied, she should do well. No, I got moist in the eyes because I realized that once she gets into Law School she'll move away.
I've been lucky. She attends The University of Texas at Austin. I live in Austin. We also share a host of common interests. We're in the same running group, on the same swim team, and often go to Yoga together. We're pretty, darn close and I so love it.
When she moves all that will change.
I've been packing up my house this past week for my own move, though it's only a few blocks east of my current place, and I realized that I'm not sentimental about stuff.
People are a whole different thing, especially people I love.
As evidence of how unsentimental I can be, check out what I've just added to my shop:
Yep, that quilt. Last seen here:
Sometimes folks are surprised that I sell the quilts I make, especially the ones that appear in magazines or books.
I'm not attached to them.
They served their function in my life. I got tremendous pleasure from designing, sewing, quilting, and writing about them. Now they need to go to a new home and bring someone else pleasure.
I get that that attitude could be related to how I feel about my girl moving. I get it. I'm just not inclined to be particularly casual about it.
I've played my role and now it's her time to make her own, separate way in this world. I'll miss her though. The quilt? Not so much.

7 comments:

Cindy Sharp said...

It sounds to me like you have your priorities straight.

Scrapatches said...

Best wishes to you and your girl as you journey on in life. My youngest, my only daughter, is finishing her masters, starting her career and marrying a good man this summer. My nest is filled with memories ... just keep sewing ... <3 Pat

stitchinpenny said...

I am not a professional quilter, but I love giving away a quilt so it will be used. But I do miss people like you - relationships are everything and my children are both 5 hours away from where I live.

em's scrapbag said...

Aren't daughters the most wonderful thing! I get how you will miss her. Best of luck to her in the future!

karen said...

This is my all time favourite quilt and this book is probably my favourite quilting book. If I could afford it, that quilt would be mine. :) Instead, it will probably be the first quilt to inspire me to use templates. :) Good luck with your move!

RenaissanceSandi said...

I, too, have an empty nest. My 25 year old son and my 20 year old daughter are each married and thriving. I have two beautiful grandkids. Life moves on into different stages, but each stage has a beauty of its own :)

Yvonne Brown @Professional Doctorate said...

Congratulations to your daughter on her LSATs, applying for law school is very impressive. I have family from New England who had an empty nest as their son pursued opportunities after university and they had the same outlook. I think it is the correct way to approach things and would have sold that beautiful quilt as well.


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