Off they go...to return

Joe is off to the East Coast, to Acadia University, to be precise, to begin his post secondary education, and all that entails (I shall live through his tales to be told!). As Yoda might have said, "Miss him, we will."
Just as I've missed Colin and Alex and others who have become part of our family and have moved on. It's very rewarding to see the young grow as they do, to be a part of their lives, their growth. It's more rewarding to have them come back from time to time - to check in - to show care for those of their past, who in most respects, are always with them, a part of the woven fabric of their lives.
So, Joe is off and I'm both sad and happy at once. Life's complexity makes it worth dwelling upon, I think. Joe, like the others on their paths now, have in many ways moved beyond the intentions I had for them in training. They have not yet met me on equal ground in Iaido however, in many related and other areas, they are my teachers. Thank goodness for the young! Already, I see their ability to teach, to evaluate self and others, to ask questions and think about their arts, as ways of being in the world that require me to re-think, ask again, continue to keep a beginner's mind on its perpetual path of knowing.
They leave and return in cycles reminding me of the work involved in getting to be senior in the art, relatively speaking: I too must always return to a place that keeps me (re-)connected, in order to stay on the path of knowing.
See you when you make it back Joe!
Miss you, I will.