Here We Go Again

Today Chris moved out of the house for the very first time, to begin his college career. This is strange for me, because growing up my brother and I were always out in the backyard, playing with dinosaurs and transformers all summer. He's five years younger than me. Always so little and so far behind... but now he's gone too. I wonder how Mom and Dad will do without their children. I wonder if things will change for the better... or worse? Hopefully they will come to enjoy their togetherness thoroughly, though I'm sure it will be difficult to live in this quiet house at times.

I miss him. Even though I'll be moving myself on Saturday, and I won't even be in the house to realize that he's gone, I'll still know that he's not home, where he's always been. I feel like an enormous presence has been removed from here. It's so quiet. Some of the vibrant life has been evaporated.

For me, things begin to spin more quickly. Tomorrow I'm getting several maintenance things taken care of with my car, then I have to go to the Secretary of State to figure out how I'm going to vote in Kalamazoo in November (because my vote counts damn it), and a bunch of other random finish-packing sort of things. I work Friday, and Saturday morning I move. We move Mike on Sunday, and we're also going to Shruti's White Coat Ceremony Sunday afternoon. Monday it's unpacking, Tuesday it's back here to spend the day with Mom and Dad, and Wednesday I'll be finishing up unpacking in Kzoo. Labor Day weekend I'll be up north again, and then school.

Here we go again.