I am in the middle of a two-week span where my boys go and stay with their father. They see him throughout the year, but this is dedicated time for them. If you asked me a couple of years ago if I ever thought I would be away from my sons for two weeks before they went to college I would have said no. We are not from families who did the sleepaway summer camp or vacation with the grandparents. Up until my youngest was 5 I had only been away from him one or two nights.
Now into my third year of “two weeks in August” I am still getting used to the idea. The first year I went to visit a friend and her husband and children. While it was nice to see them it was very difficult to be immersed in their family when I was separated from mine. Last year I kept myself very busy. This year, I am working and catching up on some house things that need to be done. I am visiting and lunching with a few friends I have not seen. I am walking. But I have large blocks of unscheduled time.
While being away from my sons is very hard and it is not something I would choose, I do appreciate the fact that they need unstructured time with their father and I need some time as well. I am taking the time to relax, read books, have some adult fun, and regain perspective.
Our life is not what I imagined and it is, of course, not perfect but it is pretty terrific.
