Procrastination.....never quite a good idea in the end

Today is the LAST DAY of the summer that we will be a Party of 5. I am driving my older daughter back to the Naval Academy tomorrow morning.  We all won't be together again until Thanksgiving. It is a sad day but instead of wallowing in sadness we were hit with gigantic "must get done before I head back to the Academy" missions. All those days of summer when we could have easily tackled any number of the must get done items - those days came and went.  Way back when - procrastination seemed like a great idea.  Why do all that yucky stuff now?  We should enjoy summer!  We should do it....tomorrow!  Well tomorrow after tomorrow after tomorrow passed yet nothing on the MUST DO list got crossed off. So what did my older daughter do all day? Work work work!!!  Tons of boxes had to be sorted and the MOUNTAIN of laundry that needed to be washed TODAY almost circled the globe.  I believe that Tide will be sending me a big thank you card. I have to be their biggest supporter after today's laundry tasks. It is already after 9pm and we haven't even had dinner.  We haven't packed the car. We aren't even close to being done. Tomorrow morning will be here before we know it and we will be hitting the road first thing. I guess we can wish that we did all these last minute items a little at a time over the course of the past month OR we can be thankful that we spent all those days not thinking about the return to the Academy. Reality came knocking on our door even though we tried so hard to deny its entrance into our lives. So today was a day to get things done. To marvel at the mass amount of things one family can get done in just one day.  To be grateful for all the days this summer we loved being a Party of 5.  To be happy for all the laughs, all the good times and all the accomplishments here at Yesteryear Acres. We are an awesome Party of 5. Try as I might to hold back my tears - I know they will freely flow down my face as I wave my final good-bye to my daughter and make the long drive home alone. Most will be tears of sadness....but a few will be tears of happiness and pride. I am grateful for every minute she was home and so happy that we were all able to spend so much time together. I will wave good-bye knowing that she is off - fulfilling her dreams and her own destiny. Nothing makes a mother's tears shine brighter.