After all this planning; on the day we are set to leave we are still were running around loading up the boat, closing on the sale of my car and cleaning up the rental house. The weather is good to venture across the gulf stream to the Bahamas and its now Midnight. We are happy, excited to leave and saddened by the aspect of leaving our 19-year-old son in Miami. Justin will fly out to meet us in August before he starts the fall term however, there is little to console me from the notion of us leaving him behind. It should be your children leaving home and us dealing with the empty nest syndrome not the parents selling your childhood home and getting on a boat …. leaving the “child” behind.
Justin meets us at the boat for the final goodbyes; its awful. We cry and hug and cry. We are proud of him and trust he will be fine. I know I will miss him so much.

Justin, Martin, Adrien and Susan