ORD to Ginestas

I’m at the airport waiting to board my flight to meet up with Richard in France (via Barcelona). It has been a whirlwind week getting ready for this trip. Packing was the easiest part of my to do list - on that front, I should have a PhD in packing. I once packed our entire family (2 adults and 5 children) in two large suitcases and a carry-on for our vacation in Hawaii.

A combination of work projects and the start of Brycen’s high school football season (I coordinate the football team parent activities) have made for a very busy week and a very long to do list before my trip. So, it surprised me how my heart ached when I was saying good-bye to Brycen today on my way out to the door to the airport. I travel a lot for work, so I am used to having to leave the boys for a few days at a time. But this was different - this was me realizing that my heart is split between two continents now.

I miss Richard and am so anxious to be there with him. It has been so exciting to join him in this dream of owning a business in France. And up until now, it has been supporting the dream based solely on his vision and description because I haven’t experienced the area and all that captivated Richard about it. I never once doubted that any place and people that could win Richard over like this is a place where we should be. I can’t wait to see it with him first hand.

At the same time, I know that I have only a few short years with Brycen before he is off to college. His junior and senior years will go by in a flash. While I have experienced this time through his older brother, it is Brycen’s first time of experiencing all of the fun (and stresses) of being an upperclassman. I want to be there for him as much as I was for his brother. I also want to be there for me because I know that I will soon be letting him go to pursue his own dreams.

I used to explain to the kids when they were young that a Mom never runs out of love - her love just grows bigger to include more children. I know that my love is big enough to cross an ocean.