The Empty House

My house is not empty, but it feels that way. Hannah has moved to a new apartment and Lydia has returned to Massachusetts to school. It is strange to have them both gone. I miss the company, the conversation, their presence in general. This is not to say that I would keep them always with me, we understand the need to move on. It's just to say that the knowledge of their coming and going is a welcome background to the rhythms of my life. It gives me comfort when I have it, and I miss it in these months when it is less tangible. Lydia will come home from school in the spring and we will have it for another short while and be grateful for it. Hannah will probably never be so present again, but we will see her often and enjoy those times all the more for the variety they bring to our daily lives.