My sister and Brianne left on Saturday morning to return home. Home, for them, is in Hong Kong, nearly 7,000 miles away from here. Although we knew this day was coming, their departure inevitably created a hole in my heart. For five weeks, they have filled our home with an abundance of love and laughter every single day. Even though the house was in a constant state of mess and the laundry was consistently backed up, our home felt so complete with their presence.
This past weekend, we came back to a quiet home. As I looked around our house and saw the artwork that Brianne left behind, my heart couldn’t help aching again. There is this unexplainable emptiness inside me. Is this what “empty nest” is going to feel like when Bridgette goes off the college? I miss both my sister and Brianne so much, and it’s only been 2 days.
Years ago, I read a novel by Judy Blume, named Summer Sisters. It became one of my favorite books of all times, as I lived vicariously through the characters, imagining what it would be like to have such unforgettable summers. As I watched Bridgette and Brianne having the time of their lives this summer, they reminded me of Caitlin and Vix from this novel–two young, innocent girls learning about love, life and friendship; spending unforgettable summers together and being the sister that they never had to one another. It touched my heart deeply.
The love and friendship that Bridgette and Brianne share is so precious, and I hope they will continue to nurture it and to cherish it as they grow up, despite the physical distance between their homes. May each of their summer be filled with adventures that they share together, creating memories that they will remember for life.
During Brianne’s last week here, we enrolled the girls into a sewing camp in San Mateo where they got their first glimpse into clothes making. They came home everyday with new skirts, headbands, pillows, purses and other fun things that they took part in making. In all honesty, they were probably a bit too young to appreciate this type of camp, since they weren’t allowed to actually use the sewing machines. They said they much preferred the other camp that they attended, where there were lots of outdoor activities. Oh well, so much for trying new stuff!
We had fun activities planned for them after camp each day though, from Great America to Stanford Mall to Malibu Grand Prix, wrapping up their last week together with enough fun to last them another 3 months before we can all reunite once again! 🙂
It will take us some time to adjust back to normality around here, but we can now look forward to seeing Brianne and her family again in Hong Kong this winter! We can’t wait!
Good bye Brianne! Thanks for spending your summer with us!
Love this post. Thanks for hosting us. More importantly, thanks for writing these posts and capture the moments for eternity. We miss you all tremendously!