My Baby Is All Grown Up

 The universe has a funny way of doing things. 

If you can't find humour in the way things happen, you are definitely making things harder on yourself. 

I was born in a place that has never been economically prosperous. The land is hard and nearly impossible to farm, the province is even nicknamed "The Rock" because that is what it is. A rock tethered to the ocean floor in the north Atlantic. The ocean pounds against the cliffs and shores. The land is made up mostly of black rock with sharp edges and unforgiving faces. 

Because the major industry of fishing has become mostly a thing of the past due to many countries' greed (including our own), the harvests from the ocean are not enough to support the residents of the province. Oil hasn't quite hit there yet. The infrastructure is in place to supply surrounding areas with hydropower, but no one can agree on how much or even how the province should be remunerated.

Due to these reasons and more, most young people wind up leaving the province. While military careers seem to be things of the past, it is still a feasible route for them to take. 

I am getting to the point here. Bear with me. 

My parents left that province when I was really young and came to a place where the streets were figuratively paved with gold and there were good jobs for everyone. They came here to give us all a better chance. In careers, home ownership, and wages. I still live in the new place with my family. 

There are many options here for a career, and yet my son is choosing the military. I am not sure if it's because we have so many family members in the service, maybe it's his blood. Maybe it's because he doesn't know what else to do and this is a good place to start and travel a bit. Maybe all of the yay America movies and TV shows my husband watches.

Either way, today is his swearing-in ceremony. All the talking about this step. All of the planning, it's here. He still has a couple of weeks before he ships out. But these weeks will blow by so quickly as he tries to spend time with family and friends before his departure. And then he will be gone. I know I will see him again, but it will never be the same. If this goes how it should, we will never share a home again. We will sometimes share a roof as he drops in to do laundry or for a vacation. 

My whole goal as a parent has been to raise independent and happy adults. And the first baby bird is about to leave the nest. My heart is full of pride and excitement for him on his next adventure. I am so thrilled that I will get to watch him grow and hear about all of his accomplishments. But I will miss my Bubby.