The Close of the Open House Era

Tonight was the last Open House in my life as mom. No more open houses after twenty years of attendance~a true cause for celebration~nothing bitter about it. Only sweet sweet sweet. I wish we had a ceremony for moms whose kids reach adulthood all in one piece. Oh how I wish we could all gather around and high five one another, swiping our hands across our wrinkled brows and sounding a collective “whew!”

But wait, it’s not over. While adulthood begins at eighteen for these guys, something new begins for us Moms. This stage is UNNAMED. (I am currently working on a phrase to catch the complexities of this new era.) This stage of mothering/parenting has me at a complete loss. I am going to write about this soon, but for now, suffice it to say I need medication. If not medication, a beer on a regular basis. If not a beer in hand, then scented Kleenex and an ice-pack for the swelling of my eyes. I don’t even know what I’ll need, but my mom and my sister have proven helpful, as well as a couple of friends who have pioneered the path before me. Right now, I’m cracking open a Dos Equis Lager and hanging out with these guys before they leave the country and I’m home alone again.