The Changing Seasons of Life

Fourteen hours in the car. Three states. Two hotels. Several heating pads. And one very important mission.

This past weekend, my husband and I embarked on what can only be described as a marathon parenting event—helping our daughter and her fiancé move from Dubuque, Iowa to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, followed by celebrating our younger daughter's 21st birthday. Because apparently, we thought our fifty-and-seasoned bodies could handle back-to-back major life events without consequences.

Spoiler alert: We were wrong.

The Move That Tested Our Backs (And Our Resolve)

My daughter's fiancé had been job hunting for a while, and while he explored opportunities near their Iowa home, we knew that eventually the right position would take them somewhere new. I'd secretly hoped "somewhere new" might be closer to us, but mostly I just wanted them to find a place where they could continue building their life together.

So when we got the call that they'd be relocating to the Milwaukee area, of course we said we'd help them move. What else are parents for, right? Besides, these two had never tackled a move like this before, and they needed experienced hands.

After dropping our dogs at their "doggy hotel" on Friday (yes, they live better than we do), we made the 5½-hour drive to Iowa. Thankfully, his parents also joined the effort, giving us four fifty-and-seasoned folks ready to help. Well, as ready as my bad back would allow—my heavy-lifting days are behind me, but I can at least supervise with authority!

Following a lovely dinner together Friday night, we started bright and early Saturday morning packing up the rented U-Haul. And when I say U-Haul, I mean a 26-foot truck. Yes, they had that much stuff. (When did kids accumulate so many belongings?)

The Convoy to Milwaukee

By noon, we were caravanning to Milwaukee. I drew the short straw and rode with my daughter so I could hold our grand-dog, Wally, for the 2½-hour drive. Meanwhile, my soon-to-be son-in-law piloted that massive 26-foot truck for the first time in his life, with us following closely behind like nervous parents watching a teenager parallel park.

No issues, thankfully, and we arrived by mid-afternoon. Despite our already-weary bodies, we managed to unload the entire truck (and all the accompanying cars) by 5:00 PM. It was truly an "all hands on deck" situation. There was some discussion among the parents that perhaps we'd hire professional movers if they relocate again, but for now, we happily hauled boxes and furniture up three stories into their beautiful new twin home.

And it really was beautiful—larger and lovelier than their Iowa place, in a charming suburban neighborhood with a big backyard for Wally. Watching them make this important life step together? That was a proud parent moment that made every sore muscle worth it.

After a celebratory dinner, we collapsed into our hotel beds. And yes, my husband and I each claimed our own queen bed that night, complete with heating pads warming our weary joints. We'd slept on an air mattress at their Iowa townhouse the night before, but our bodies made it very clear that wasn't happening again.

We still had things to do, after all.

A Side Trip Through Memory Lane

After breakfast with the happy couple Sunday morning, we let them finish settling in before his Monday start date and headed out on the next leg of our journey. First stop: the Fox Valley area of Wisconsin to visit my mom and sister's graves and leave flowers. I hadn't been able to make it there in quite some time, and it felt important to pause and remember them during this weekend of family milestones.

Then it was off to celebrate our younger daughter's 21st birthday! While she'd been able to legally order wine everywhere during her spring semester in Europe, she was excited to finally do so here in the States.

The sweet irony? She attends the same university where my husband and I met 32 years ago. Every visit is a walk down memory lane, and her current apartment building sits right next to the residence hall where we first met all those years ago. Time really does have a sense of humor.

The Birthday Celebration (And Our Exhaustion)

Although we were both running on fumes and desperately needed naps, we happily met up with our daughter and took her to one of our old favorite college bars. I have to admit it wasn't quite the same as I remembered—either the place changed or we did. Probably both.

We watched a Green Bay Packers game, shared some food, and took her shopping. I was slightly relieved when she mentioned she needed to get things done for the upcoming week and asked if we could drop her off around 7:00. We made a quick stop at the local Kwik Trip (the Midwest's finest gas station/grocery store hybrid) for snacks, then once again collapsed into a hotel bed.

We had to leave early the next morning to pick up our dogs on time and avoid an extra day's charge at their pet palace. Priorities, people.

The Long Drive Home (And What It All Means)

Our 3½-hour drive home gave us time to reflect on everything that had transpired over that whirlwind weekend. Between all the driving, moving, celebrating, and memory-making, we found ourselves talking about how proud we are of both our daughters.

This is one of the unexpected joys of empty nesting—you get to watch (and occasionally help) your children as they create their adult lives. While they no longer need us in the same way they once did, I'm grateful they still want us around. We may have shared a few tears as we discussed memories stretching all the way back to our own college days.

But I know we were both happy and felt fulfilled after picking up our dogs and finally—finally—sleeping in our own bed that night.

The Beautiful Exhaustion of Parenthood

Fourteen hours of driving. One successful move. One 21st birthday celebration. Two very sore backs. And countless precious moments watching our children navigate their adult lives.

Would we do it again? Absolutely.

Would we pack more heating pads next time? Also absolutely.

This is what this season of life looks like—less hands-on parenting, more showing up when they need us, and finding joy in watching them flourish. Our role has shifted from managing their daily lives to supporting their big moments, and honestly? It's pretty wonderful, even when our bodies remind us we're not twenty anymore.