The Long Goodbye

I was taken aback today when someone said "Well, July is just a month away." Where has all the time gone? It literally seems like just a couple of months ago that we were preparing for Pete's arrival. And now we are preparing for his departure. Sure, his leaving date isn't until June 19th, but he is leaving tomorrow for a 2 week bus trip through the south and east coast and then will be home for 2 days before heading back to Finland.

Although it will be hard to say goodbye, the biggest adjustment will be for him. Ned will get his room back. Ross will start picking on Ned instead of Pete and I will have to readjust the food amount I cook, but these are all minor compared to what Pete will be facing.

We are returning a completely different son and brother to his family. The room that he kept neat as a pin when he first came, has drawers open, clothes spilling out and an unmade bed. Pictures and momentous adorn the bookshelves, pictures of his Finland and American family stand side by side. Like his room, Pete has spilled out of his boundaries since he has been here. He has become excitable, talkative and loud. He smiles more and isn't afraid to voice his opinion whether it is what is on TV or whether you can drive to the High School only making left turns.

My hope is that he will be able to take his experiences here and share them with family and friends. That although America has some problems, we aren't afraid to face them head on. We aren't afraid to show our emotions, both the good and the bad and that we aren't afraid to open ourselves to new opportunities. And hopefully, he will be able to share how much fun we had.

He will always have a place in our home. The key that we gave him when he first arrived will go home with him, a tangible reminder that he has people here who care for him. That he will always be a part of our family, no matter how far away he goes.