The countdown has come to a end tomorrow Charlie leaves for 2 months. I am scared he isn’t going to come home because he has bought Mikalya a engagement ring. None, of his family will even be there when he proposes.
My question is why do kids have to grow up? I wanted to share a post as Iš Prepare for Tomorrow: A Momās Heart the Day Before Her Son Leaves for Another State and before you ask yes David is hurting and scared as well. As for Bear she doesn’t understand why Charlie is leaving again. Pheobie says aww a free bed to sleep int.
Real life. Real fear. Real love. Real family.
Itās late morning here in North Richland Hills, and while the house looks calm on the outside, my heart is anything but. Tomorrow, C leaves for Oklahoma ā for Hobart ā and even though weāve known this day was coming, nothing prepared me for how it actually feels.
People talk about motherhood like itās a series of milestones: first steps, first words, first day of school, first job, first love. But nobody talks about the moment your child packs a bag and prepares to leave for another state. Nobody talks about the quiet ache that sits in your chest the day before they go.
Today, that ache is loud and its worse for me because C will not be here for Mother’s Day and neither will Suzzie nor our anniversary.
ā The House Is Moving, But Iām Standing Still
David is at work. Gerald is on the couch after cleaning the kitchen earlier. The dogs are sleeping like theyāve had a full dayās job supervising us. C is sleeping but ā half awake, half preparing, half pretending tomorrow isnāt happening.
And me?
Iām trying to breathe through the weight of it all.
Iāve been checking emails, sorting papers, organizing the desk, and doing all the ānormalā things I do every morningā¦ but nothing feels normal today. My mind keeps drifting to tomorrow and what if this is the last day I see my son.
I havenāt been sleeping. My mind keeps racing. My heart keeps breaking in slow motion. And the fear ā the fear of him being in another state, another home, another routine ā keeps creeping in no matter how many times I tell myself heāll be okay.
ā A Momās Fear Isnāt About Distance ā Itās About Change
Itās not just that heās leaving. Itās that heās growing. Itās that life is shifting. Itās that tomorrow marks a new chapter for himā¦ and a new chapter for me.
Heās engaged. Heās working. Heās building a life. Heās becoming the man I raised him to be. But just for one day can we go back into time when he was little, and I was his best friend?
And Iām proud ā so proud ā but pride doesnāt cancel fear. Pride doesnāt cancel the ache. Pride doesnāt cancel the part of me that still sees him as the little boy who needed me for everything.
Tomorrow, he wonāt be across the hall. He wonāt be in the kitchen grabbing snacks. He wonāt be on the couch with the dogs. He wonāt be walking in and out of the room asking random questions.
Heāll be in Hobart.
And even though I know heās safe, loved, and supported thereā¦ my heart still whispers, āBut heās not here.ā
ā Trying to Hold It Together While Life Keeps Moving
The hardest part of days like this is that the world doesnāt stop.
There are still dishes. There are still emails. There are still posts to write. There are still dogs to feed. There are still schedules to follow. There is still Taco Tuesday at noon. There is still life happening around me.
But inside, everything feels paused.
I keep looking at C, memorizing the way he moves through the house, the way he talks, the way he laughs, the way he exists in this space ā because tomorrow, this space will feel different.
Not empty. Justā¦ changed.
ā Tomorrow We Talk About Hobart
Tomorrow, Iāll share a full post about Hobart:
- the town
- the people
- the love story
- the distance
- the faith
- the fear
- the hope
- the reason this move matters
But today isnāt about the town. Today is about the heart.
Today is about the last day before everything shifts.
Today is about holding on and letting go at the same time.
ā If Your Heart Is Heavy Today Tooā¦
Youāre not alone.
Whether your child is leaving for college, moving out, getting married, starting a job, or just growing up faster than youāre ready for ā this post is for you.
Motherhood doesnāt come with a manual. It comes with moments like this.
Moments where love and fear sit side by side. Moments where pride and heartbreak share the same breath. Moments where you smile for them and cry for yourself.
And thatās okay. Thatās real. Thatās motherhood.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
