Sign#599

My father always says to me when I leave home after a visit, “Honey, we love to have you but we sure hate to see you go.”

I just said goodbye to Rory who is heading back to her California university. She has been here with us in Malaysia since August.

It’s truly been wonderful. She has experienced so much. Knows all my friends and made them hers. Made her own friends. Traveled within Malaysia and to Thailand and Singapore. Knows Kuala Lumpur better than some folks that have been here for years. She filled up the house with her drama and her opinions.

I probably already wrote about this so forgive me if I have. But when we were preparing to move here from California I often wondered if it was the right decision. I was looking for signs that we were doing the right thing. I’m a big believer in signs.

And I remembered talking to Rory on the phone and I told her exactly that. I was okay with moving but a few signs would help. Especially that everything would be fine for her thirteen year old sister.

She responded, “I’m going with you.”

I said, “What? No way. You’re in college. Nothing is going to get in the way of that.”

She said, “Mom, I was going to study abroad anyway for the Fall semester. I planned on going to the Middle East but that’s not going to happen. So, I will go with you to Malaysia.”

I couldn’t speak at that moment. I was so choked up. And so was she.

It would be wonderful on so many levels. For us as a family. For her younger sister to have her support during this transition. For me.

It hadn’t even entered my mind as a possibility. And here it was. A sign. Still a believer.

Choked up a quite a few times today as she was preparing to leave. So did she. I knew she had to go. Doesn’t mean I have to like it.

You can’t believe how empty this house is. And how much I miss her already.

And for as long as I live I know I’ll say to her, “Honey, we love to have you but we sure hate to see you go.”

Because it’s so true.

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