How good are you at saying good-bye?

This week my stepson moved out of our house and into an apartment in Manhattan. He’s starting work in two weeks in a large law firm in the city so he wanted to move in before work began. This is all good. We are incredibly proud of his hard work in law school that culminated in him being hired as a first year attorney. And, given the extensive  hours he will probably be working, moving into the city is, no doubt, the best move for him. Yet. . .

I walk by his empty room in our house and tears fill my eyes. This good-bye is different than when he left for college. When he left in college we knew he would be back. This move is the beginning of his adult life and, I know, he won’t be back. While I know that this is the best and healthiest move for him, I still feel sad.

It’s very difficult, for me, to say good-bye. How do you do it?