My Son’s Moving Out: Embracing Change and New Beginnings

Due to some complications in life, my son moved in full time with me and my wife around August. He’s stayed in his room and has basically gone about his life pretty much the same. Except for a very long and inconvenient commute to Brooklyn for work which we hope to remedy soon enough.

In any case, my son is somewhat tired of living by the rules of other people, something that I can understand and empathize with. By the time I was his age, I was already living on my own for about a year. Basically for the same reasons, I like my space and I like doing things my own way. Even now, living with my son and being married, I encounter difficulties with sharing space. I think it is only human.

As a father, I’m excited and happy for my son. There is nothing like the feeling of having your own place, everything the way you like it, and basically living by the rules you set as the head of your household. I think it is a great thing to live on your own for a while before settling down and getting married and all that. Experience your own space for a while.

So yes, I’m happy for him, but I’m also a bit nervous because he’s going out into the world on his own. Granted, he’ll only be two stops away on the train. This is good because we are very close to each other should a necessity arise. However, I still feel a sense of worry at the thought of my son not coming home where I can see him arrive safely and know he’s okay. We’ll obviously be in touch, but just not knowing he’s home safe every night gives me a feeling of unease. Now I understand how my own mom felt all those years ago. Sorry I didn’t check in that much at first, Mom.

He’s moving into a really nice area. A very nice and exclusive area. We were pretty happy to land the place and we did all that was necessary to make sure it was secured for him. I am even a guarantor for him since it is his first place and the landlord wanted some protection. I get that.

It is a small but cozy place and I think he will be comfortable and happy there. I’ve helped furnish it with a bigger bed and some other items he needed because I don’t want my son to go broke or use up all his savings during this move. I’ve also spent hours cleaning the place with him in a way that would make Mr. Clean proud. Finally, I’d never usually cosign as a guarantor for anyone, since I’ve had bad experiences before. But hey, this is my son so exceptions are being made.

So yes, I’m happy to see my son moving on his own and becoming a responsible man. There is a part of me that feels a little bad because I think our constant reminders about cleaning up after himself may have contributed to pushing him in this direction, but I know that he will enjoy his new place and I have already emphasized time and time again that if he needs me, I’ve got his back.

This is a changeful time for my family. My son is moving out and my baby sister has seemingly relocated to Florida. Both of my younger family members have left the nest and are going out into the world on their own. It is a bit scary, but I know this is a part of life and they’ll be just fine. So as nervous as I am, I embrace it and wish them all the good fortune in the world.