Drawing Boundaries

All newborns move from womb to crib; and toddlers leave the floor to play in yards. Most youngsters go from home to school, learning a new milieu some with ease. Our kids both young and old contend with space. While teens assemble, needing gangs and groups, our college students age as they leave home. The forest’s edge expands with chills and thrills. Advancing purlieu dawns on us the outskirts of our lives change over time. The empty nest can normalize our lives as we accept each demarcation line. With marriage, having children need not stunt our passage if we've learned our lessons well. We welcome flux and look forward to tomorrow. Grandkids will start the cycle anew. Agendas set; when of necessity we must retreat, forest calls us back, we think goodbye, adieu slowed our bearings down. In lieu of serving others, we now dread being waited-on by younger souls who'll take their mental notes. An empty nest just helps pull the curtains on our clock and stage.