Wordswoman

My daughters are flying high as I write this. Literally. They're on their way to Europe for a high school band trip, headed for Salzburg, Venice, Florence, Rome. I oversaw their packing, double- and triple-checked their itineraries, issued all the appropriate motherly warnings...then hugged them, kissed them, and watched them go. Bon voyage, my ducklings, my pups, my cubs!

I'm still a mother, but for the next 9 days I'm an off-duty one. How strange. How quiet. A sneak preview of things to come.

Monday my father undergoes his second brain surgery. But I'll think about that on Monday. These few days are the lull between, a space to breathe and think and appreciate the peace.