31 Days: Empty

My eldest daughter lives out of town. She met her boyfriend at school in Savannah. He finished school in May and headed in to the Army. He was stationed at Fort Lee, just 45 minutes south of us. My daughter remained in Savannah.

When he came to Virginia, he hadn't figured out where he would live. We invited him to live with us.

He did.

When the government shut down, it complicated his plans. He had to leave earlier than we anticipated.

Today.

He put on his camo fatigues this morning and headed out the door. And I noticed this thing; that someone can enter your life - and your home - for a relatively short period of time and bring a great deal of joy and laughter and positive energy. Some people just have that spark.

He does.

Tonight, our house feels very empty. Very quiet. We miss Max.

But I have a daughter who is, tonight, undoubtedly thrilled that he is within arm's reach.