Happy Tears

Okay, so I'm lying. They're not happy tears. They're sad tears.

This morning we had a lovely brunch for about 30 people - friends and family - for the happy couple to open presents and all. It went off well. Hubby was teasing me that I was more stressed about this morning than I was about yesterday. My response was, yesterday I had 50 people running around at my beck and call. Today it's just me! Oh, well... it went off fine and the kids got tons of gifts and money. Very nice.

Afterwards, they started packing for the trip to Kansas City. The new son-in-law has been living there for several months and driving up to Iowa on the weekends. Of course, he's now looking forward to not having to do this EVERY weekend! I'm really going to miss having our daughter here, though. She and I are best of friends. They left this evening as they have flight to catch out of K.C. in the morning for Acapulco... I was doing okay until I went downstairs and made a lap through her bathroom and bedroom. It was empty. I mean, every drawer, her closet, everything. Then it hit me. She's really gone.

After I started bawling (I kept it together all weekend) - then my husband started in, too. He was much more restrained than I, but still... We keep telling each other that if we weren't such saps about our kids this wouldn't be so hard. We love them all dearly and want them to be happy - we just want them to be CLOSE. This is the furthest any of them have been. I think it's just worse because this week there will be NO contact whatsoever. No e-mail and maybe only a brief phone call. I'm used to talking to my daughter every day several times. Next week will be easier because we can e-mail and talk at least. Then they'll be coming back in a couple of weeks to get all the wedding presents they had to leave behind to make room for clothing and so forth.

I'll be okay. I really AM happy for them. He is a terrific, sweet guy and she'll have many years of laughter and happiness ahead. I just miss her.