For those of you who don’t know my mother, Rosie, let me just say she has always been a straight shooter.
So I wasn’t too surprised when she left the following message on our home answering machine the other day:
“It’s me. You must be out hiking…You know, it might be time to cut the umbilical cord and take the kids names off your message…”
After shrieking “Akkkkkk!” I had the following conversation with myself:
“I HATE that idea.”
“Well, she may have a point.”
“They’ll feel rejected! Unloved! Erased!”
“They never call, so they’ll never know.”
I’ll spare you the rest but trust me, it’s gone on like that for about a week.
So, I need help. Specifically, yours.
Is it time…
Greetings from the Empty Nest 
What a FABULOUS pic of your mom. Yee haw. Never asked you if you’ve seen that Emilio Estevez movie starring his dad about the Camino de Santiago called something like The Way(?). I just remember that it’s on the Camino, but I’ve not seen it (too busy buttering my teenager’s toast).
I know. Such a great pic isn’t it? It was taken 72 years ago on a ranch in Montana. She was fifteen. Yes, we did see The Way – oh, okay, most of it. It was set on the Camino Frances, the most popular section of the Camino. It was so crowded it felt like the 4th street stairs to us, so we headed up to the much less travelled Camino del Norte. xo
Do you know the actor Anthony Zerbe? Fantastic guy. Had dinner with him this week, and he told me that when he was in his early 70s he did the WHOLE Camino (don’t know which route), 1000 miles plus, mostly alone over three summers, and then with his wife for the last piece. He said that it was the most romantic trip he’d ever taken. I assume he meant the part with his wife.
Alas, do not know him but clearly must. And it was romantic – very much so. Not in any hearts and flowers kind of way. I think the romance has a lot to do with carrying so little baggage – all that doesn’t matter falls away and it’s just the two of you, with backpacks, on an adventure, with a purpose. And despite all our years together, we felt new again. The thing is, after a thousand years of people walking it with intention, the Camino is plain old magic.
Hahaha, you will know when the time is right for you to cut that particular cord. Having said that, I think kids like to keep their childhood rooms intact until they start asking to move key pieces of furniture into their own apartments or homes. Then they are ready to cut the more significant cord even if you are not. Then you must cut the cord 🙂
Oh, dear. Some of those key pieces of furniture may have already….
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Yes, it’s a fabulous photo. But she’s wrong (as long as it’s not one of the messages recorded by the kids when they were 7).
I see that I came late to the party and that my vote didn’t count…Now I’m thinking that it doesn’t matter. Nobody under the age of 35 has used a landline since the turn of the century.
Very true. And two out of the three boys haven’t even set up their OWN voicemail.
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