grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

  • Home
  • Bio
  • Publishing
  • SHOP!
  • Garden
  • Food
  • Reading & Books
  • Sunday Letter

College Boy

May 13, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner

My son is home from college

just in time for Mother’s Day.

Only for a week,

but still his sounds comfort me.

Piles of dirty laundry

spill from the utility room.

The washer and dryer work overtime

spinning and churning

as he takes command of my space.

Downstairs I hear the rattle

of plates and silverware

as he prepares a snack,

reloading, re-energizing

after another semester,

another week of finals.

He eats every three hours,

just as he did when he was a baby,

when I was the center of his life,

when the world was new and not so large.

This is his birthday week.

Twenty years old…

The world is vast

and his for the taking.

Happy Birthday Tate!

tate’s mom

“How did it get so late so soon? It’s night before it’s afternoon. December is here before it’s June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?” – Dr. Seuss

Musical Pairing:
The Beatles, Birthday Song

Filed Under: Family, Life Tagged With: University of Arkansas

Wanna receive posts via email? Sign up here!

Comments

  1. Writercat59 says

    May 13, 2013 at 5:07 am

    My goodness! Yet another thing we have in common, Talya! My college son, Rory, will be 20 years old this year, too and he just came home from residence 2 weeks ago. He wasn’t too far though and just stayed there during the week to avoid the long winter commuting in stormy weather.

    I hear ya about the piles of laundry and the constant eating. YEP! Know that well! Enjoy your special time!

    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      May 13, 2013 at 5:33 am

      Thank you! Yes, we do seem to have much in common:)) Enjoy your son too!

  2. A month of....Blog says

    May 13, 2013 at 9:42 am

    What a blessing to have him home!
    A month of Blog…

    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      May 13, 2013 at 1:04 pm

      Yes it is!

  3. Bryan Jones says

    May 13, 2013 at 2:21 pm

    Sounds like you be enjoying it!

  4. Corinne Rodrigues says

    May 14, 2013 at 3:47 am

    This must be truly a special week for you and the family, Talya. Happy birthday to Tate!

    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      May 14, 2013 at 4:12 am

      Yes it is. Thank you Corinne!

  5. Patricia A. Laster says

    May 14, 2013 at 6:45 am

    Reminds me of the song from Fiddler on the Roof: “I don’t remember growing older; when did they?” My youngest “son”–23–just left for a chiropractor’s visit and then back to “school” to finish arrangements to move into a new apartment building. Of course, my money went with him. So thankful he’s about old enough to make decisions but not yet flush enough(working at Cracker Barrel)to pay for everything. Sorry this comment got to be about me/Billy. You two are beautiful–and fortunate. xoxo

  6. Tim Hardin says

    May 14, 2013 at 12:16 pm

    We are the epitome of a redneck family since we both have sons who are the same age, and I’m your Daddy.=)


Hi! I'm Talya Tate Boerner. Writer, Reader, Arkansas Master Naturalist / Master Gardener, Author of

THE ACCIDENTAL SALVATION OF GRACIE LEE (2016)

GENE, EVERYWHERE: a life-changing visit from my father-in-law (2020)

BERNICE RUNS AWAY (2022)

THE THIRD ACT OF THEO GRUENE (coming 2025)

Recent Ramblings:

  • Sunday Letter: May 4, 2025
  • Sunday Letter: Rainy Day Edition
  • Spiderwort: my love-hate relationship
  • Sunday Letter: March 23, 2025
  • Sunday Letter: March 16, 2025

Never miss a blog post! Subscribe via email:

Looking for something?

Categories

All the Things!

A to Z April Blog Challenge Autumn BAT Book Reviews childhood Christmas creative writing prompt Dallas Desserts Fall Fayetteville Food Gracie Lee Halloween Hemingway-Pfeiffer holiday recipes home humor Johnson Family Keiser Lake Norfork Lucy and Annabelle Mississippi County Mississippi Delta Monarch butterflies Munger Place Nana nature Northeast Arkansas Northwest Arkansas Osceola poem Reading Schnauzer simple living simple things spring spring gardening Summer Talya Tate Boerner novel Thanksgiving The Accidental Salvation of Gracie Lee Thomas Tate Winter Wordless Wednesday

Food. Farm. Garden. Life.

THANKS FOR READING!

All content and photos Copyright Grace, Grits and Gardening © 2025 · Web Hosting By StrataByte