After dropping our daughter (and grand-kitty!) off for her train back to the city, I thought about how she’s really returning home. When she comes “home” to visit, it’s just that - a visit. New York City is her home now.
She has created her own way there - her routine, her new life. She has a job. She has a sweet apartment in the Lower East Side. She has a new roommate and a group of friends she met only after moving there. She has her bagel shop, her coffee spot, her grocery store, her gym, her park, and her walk to work. And, thankfully, she has her Uncles less than a mile away.
While bursting with pride for her accomplishments, it signifies a shift in our relationship. No longer is she the young daughter who looks to us for guidance on what to think; she now has her own opinions on everything from social justice to mental health to the patriarchy - and strong ones at that!
I imagine her visits here are as confusing for her (an adult child back in her childhood bedroom) as they are for us. It has absolutely changed the dynamic of our relationship and both of us are working hard to navigate what that looks like. It might involve some complex interactions but always ends up in a good and better place.
At the end of it all, she’s doing exactly what we raised her to do - to work hard and play hard, and to be an independent, productive, caring and kind citizen. But I hope she knows…this, too, will always be her home.
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