For this day

So begins a new era of my life. On May 17th my precious daughter Sarah was married to her cowboy beau. Today though was the morning that their fuly loaded truck and trailer pulled out of our driveway for Montana where they plan to live for the foreseeable future. No surprise - we've been expecting this for more than a year. But I think you are never ready for one of your kids to leave home. Sarah's not the first - Gill left a few years ago but she only went across town and we see her almost every week.

So we've all been crying a lot in the last couple of days. I couldn't help but think about everytime we did something - that this would be the last time it would happen - at least in our home and maybe for a long time.

Every so often Sarah and I would walk our dogs together. It gave us a chance to talk and just get away from the house and be alone. Sunday we took one more walk. Both of us just cried most of the way and held hands while we walked.

Last night before bed time we all sat on the couches and mostly just looked at each other - or maybe NOT looked at each other. Everytime I caught Sarah's eye, we both started to cry.

But my wife said something this morning that I will have to keep going back to whenever I start to get weepy or anything - she said we have raised her for this day. We've had her for 25 years and now she starts her own new life adventure with her husband. We'll still be a part of that life but she's on her own now.

I know this is so old fashioned and 70s but I was hoping my daughter would play Noel Paul (of Peter Paul and Mary) Stookey's "Wedding Song" at some point in her wedding (but I never mentioned this to her) I know this became as cliched in the 70s as Pachebel's Canon is today. But I still love the song. One line comes from scripture - " A man shall leave his mother and a woman leave her home. They shall travel on to where the two shall be as one." Sarah left her home today. I also can't help but remember the words of Ruth to Naomi - "Your people shall be my people." Sarah is going to be with her husband Caleb's people -his family in Montana. And they will be one - with each other. And that "one-ness" will be the strength that will carry them thru hard times - and hopefully help Sarah during her transition to a new home and an extended family.

We are all sad but we are also very happy. Not sure how to find the balance between the two. I also remember my first post about their marriage - Bittersweet. I guess that's how this still feels.