On Sunday I said goodbye to my daughter, Leah, and my wife Sherry, as they headed back to school. For five weeks, I had been able to share our home with them while they were between semesters. As I said goodbye, I fully realized it was over. Soon, Leah will be graduating and heading into the "real world" of life as an actress. This was one of the few, last, precious times I would see her living "at home."
Sherry still lives here, of course, but she spends her weeks living in the apartment by the University, and she was beginning a two-week absence from our home. I knew I would miss her. I always do. It's just harder to get accustomed to when we've spent some significant time together, as we had over the Christmas break.
This moment -- the goodbye -- reminded me again that the most important things in my life are not "things" at all. They are people. The relationships I have are so important. And, because I would be having a chance to see some friends this week, I let myself be melancholy for a little while, but then I started the anticipation of the fun I could have with my friends.
Missing someone who is important to you can coexist with enjoying other people. Being able to experience both longing and enjoyment at the same is part of a healthy life, for it allows us to live in the present, while simultaneously appreciating the past and looking forward to the future.
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