September Comes

It’s a strange time of year. The summer is slowly fading, the sun is sleeping early and the hustle of a new term awaits. Exam results have been had with mixtures of joy and sadness – the results dictating a new future; planned or unplanned. Excitement and dread fill homes around the country.

September. It brings many colours, and leaves others behind. A young person setting out on adventure – full of colour and excitement, a university, leaving home, a new start. Everything it brings is wonder and hope and dread and uncertainty all rolled into a ball of young life stepping out for the first time alone. Leaving the nest, gaining freedom, the adventure begins.

What of those left behind? The mother, the father? The excitement of summer colours fading with each step of September drawing closer, what of them? For 18 years of caring, teaching and loving, suddenly, in a moment, gone. The colour disappears and the winter is looming. The brightness of autumn colour shines with the excitement of the home, then gone.

Now what? How is life filled now? Silence where once was filled with noise and laughter, tears and joy. Feelings erupting like a volcano, tears flowing freely; life feels empty. It’s all normal. You’ve done a good job to enable the child to leave so confidently.

Summer will come again, with the vibrancy of life and colour in full bloom!

But if it feels as though life has ended when they leave, the crying doesn’t stop and isolating starts; as though the depths of winter has arrived early, talk to a professional. Counselling can help, begin to find self again and bring colour back into your own life.