The Big Empty Nest

Not a great day for Mom and Dad. This morning we were a family of three (actually, we're four, but Charlie has been out on his own for a couple of years now); at dinner tonight, we are just two. Let the tears begin. Son Number Two, Robb, departed today on an American Airlines flight bound for Adulthood. He will spend the summer working at a sports camp in southern Pennsylvania, then will head for Temple University in Philadelphia, entering as a junior (he recently completed his AA at Anne Arundel Community College).
Oh, of course we will see him again; after all, he'll spend most of the next two summers with us here in Belgium. And on every business trip Mom or Dad takes to the States, we'll be sure to stop in and see both boys, if at all possible.
But the house is suddenly much larger, quieter, and colder. And, as if we needed any additional hints, it also means that Mom and Dad are just that much older.
The nest may be empty, but we are so proud of the two birds who have done the right thing and taken to flight.
Yes, it may be the right thing, the proper thing, and part of living. But nobody says we have to like it...