Goodbyes

The deafening quiet of normalcy has returned to our home once again. We’ve been so fortunate to have had a series of guests this year, friends and family alike. Today my schoonouders left, and when we got back from dropping Grandma and Grandpa off at the airport, the familiar empty feeling gripped me. How silent the house is with just Dan, Rebecca, and me in it. How futile it seems to prepare a lunch without a table full of people to eat it.

Even before leaving for Europe, I had my share of goodbyes. We lived a thousand miles (give or take a few) away from all parents, and the closest siblings were still a 6-hour drive away. In all, we see our family and some friends a good bit, considering the distance and our busy lives. But no matter how much we are together and how many times I say goodbye, that empty feeling always returns. It creeps into the pit of my stomach the morning of departure, and climaxes when I get back to the house and hear the silence echoing throughout our home.

At the airport this morning, my father-in-law mentioned how fortunate we are to have the hope of eternal life, where, presumably, we won’t have to say goodbye. He’s right. Until then, however, I have the certainty of two more family-visits this year. Anyone else care to come?