Nadia was always cleaning up after her son, Ben; picking up shirts, putting shoes away, picking up towels. Once she had refused to do it, and it became almost impossible to move around. Nadia harped about it a little, but not too much.
Not long after he turned nineteen, Ben decided to leave home and make it on his own. Of course he shared an apartment with several others.
Nadia missed the mess. She half wished she had some shirts to pick up after him, because it would mean he was home. But when they have to fly the nest they have to fly the nest, said Nadia. Goodness knows how messy his apartment will be.
Nadia decided to visit, just to make sure “everything was alright and did he need anything?” It was Saturday.
The apartment was spotless; very neat and orderly. Did he want to pop home for lunch, enquired Nadia? He couldn’t afford the time, he said. It was his turn to do the vacuuming and the week’s laundry. And he thought he might clean all the windows as well.
Weave a Web 
A beautiful post that illustrates how some tracks of life cannot be taught until it is time to walk the walk.
PS: I guess the beauty of the ghazal Restlessness Takes Hold have deflected your readers today from this post towards itself.
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I seem to have lost my followers! One or two is fine – but I would prefer a thousand – I need to get the Nobel Prize for Literature so I can buy a home!
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Followers are fickle as fireflies. They fade and fritter away when you want them the most. A few miles from you down the line for the Nobel, I am waiting to raise that illusive toast.
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Cheers! Although the thought of having to write a jolly speech or forfeit the Nobel prize money is inconvenient!
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Such is the progression of life 🙂
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The joy is though – as you well know – life always turns up some good surprises!
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🙂
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Not sure whether to cheer or cry, as a mom. I wonder did her son not respect her as much as his new found roomies? Or did he learn from mom and has now grown. The fact that he has no time for her makes me think the first and i want to cry for Nadia, as a mom.
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Thanks for your comment. I don’t think it’s either way really! Once people leave home they seem (or a lot of them) to suddenly realise that if they’re going to make something of their life they have to start living it!
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This is exactly what happened with my sons when they left home! However, when they came home on vacation, they continued leaving their dirty jeans tangled up with shorts and socks on the bathroom floor… Go figure! 😂
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😀
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