Flying the Nest: Embracing Change, Cherished Memories, and New Creative Adventures

Looking at the big cargo van, I realized that this time, as Brad pulled away, it felt different. He was setting off on his own adventure, heading to Nashville with his girlfriend to start his PhD program at Vanderbilt. My heart swelled with excitement, knowing that Brad was following his dreams and about to embark on a thrilling journey: exploring a new city and pursuing his passion for chemistry—an area I admittedly know little about. A few years earlier, my older son Danny also packed up his childhood room and loaded up a truck to move to Miami. I can't help but think of our family as birds in a nest. My husband Emil and I created a safe, loving, though often chaotic place for our three boys to grow up. One by one, each of them has flown away. I find myself crying now.

As I navigate these major life changes, a string of memories runs through my mind. Brad was only four months old when we moved into our house. It was here that he learned to walk and talk. There were the toddler years, the elementary school years, and, of course, the challenging middle school and high school years. Raising children is filled with both joy and angst, but yesterday, as Brad and his girlfriend packed up the van, I felt like a character in "Inside Out," with all the good memories popping up in my brain.

On summer days when we had nothing planned, I organized Mom Camp for Bradley and his brothers. We'd take the Metro into DC, paddle boat by the Tidal Basin, visit the Mint to see how money was made, and even ride the elevator to the top of the Washington Monument for a glorious view of the city. I especially loved planning birthday parties. One of my more creative parties was Brad’s Green Birthday Party. For the invitation, I took a picture of him in his green pajamas holding a stalk of broccoli. At the party, all the decorations, plates, and plasticware were green, and we had Broccoli the Clown perform for the kids.

I have always loved being creative and planning activities. Besides the privilege of watching my three wonderful boys grow up, planning activities has been one of my favorite parts of being a mom. That's why being the Program Director at the Down Syndrome Association of Northern Virginia (DSANV) for almost six years was the ideal job for me. I shared my creativity with the wonderful families from DSANV, creating events like the Smoothie and Sandwich Clinic and holiday celebrations. My car was often filled with bulk items from Costco, which reminded me of being a busy mom, juggling sports equipment and schedules across Northern Virginia.

Now, I’m excited about my new venture, Fun Programs By Stacy. I’ll get to keep in touch with dear friends from DSANV while meeting new families and exploring new creative horizons. As far as our nest goes, we still have Sam, who is a junior at James Madison University. Our house is delightfully chaotic with Sam’s golf clubs, multiple pairs of shoes, a stop sign, and a mini-fridge among the items scattered around. I cherish this chaos and am thrilled to find new ways to create fun programs and activities.