Michael and his friend Kate left several hours ago to attend a wedding in Allentown, then off to NYC. Once there he will begin a new job and a new way of life; now that he has this new job, working for Columbia University, he will, for the first time in several years, have a routine and a settled kind of life, teaching and directing the long distance learning area of the University.
We are used to saying goodbye to our son as he left for Pakistan, India, Dubai, Djabuti, Japan, Haiti, and Texas and New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. He also was sent to some of the Pacific South Sea Island and Antarctica as well. And there are more but I can't remember them all. And please excuse me if I didn't spell all of these names correctly.
I am pretty sure I know what has gone on in his father's heart and soul and mind during all these goodbyes. However, I can only speak for myself. This son of mine has stretched my heart to regions where I never, ever thought it could go; has educated me in world history and politics, giving me more information that most Americans have access to; took a side trip to help me locate the place in Lithuania where my mother's family came from; called me on Mother's Day when he was in Israel. And called my mother as well. And never, ever is too shy to give me tight hugs and say I love you.
He's warmed my soul and made me so proud that I told him once--and he laughed--that he makes me "proud squared." In other words, as proud as I could possibly get, then added exponentially. Sometimes there are no words. In knowing Michael you struggle to find words.
Other than enjoying the pleasure of being his mother, Michael is a wonderful friend to have. I can't think of anything I haven't been able to discuss with him. Books, food, medicine, world events, writing, which of our cats he thinks is cutest; women, shoes, old family jokes, movies, and Pittsburgh and why we think it's one of the most beautiful cities in the world--and he's seen a lot of cities.
This could go on all night so I'll say: Once Michael was 9 he sort of "moved up" into the adult way of life which means that the 3 of us starting having really fun times together. So he left the child's world in appropriate ways, of course. Weekends at our house in Media, PA were a riot; lots of movies, eating delicious junk food together, laughing, especially laughing. We had a whole universe of private jokes, favorite lines from movies, funny stuff I saw in my job. We celebrated Thanksgiving by driving down to Cape May, New Jersey and staying in a very nice bed and breakfast there and taking the ferry boat ride to Lewes, DE and back. The kind of thing you wish every family could have.
So off he goes again, to the world of academia this time, in which I'm sure he'll flourish and amaze
and create and think up new ways to do things and make it look oh so easy.
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