Does Heaven Feel Lonely?

We recently dropped our two oldest children off at college. If you’ve ever done this, you know exactly the breadth of emotions that sentence evokes. I felt everything. Excitement. Fear. Pride. Humility. And all the variations in between.

I’d spent the past 18 years training, teaching, nourishing, They’d spent the past 18 years learning, absorbing, and growing.

And suddenly, here it was. The moment of launch. They were ready. I knew it, and they knew it.

Yet, as we said our final words of love, gave our final hugs, and returned home, still with five kids in tow, the car felt empty.

And as we sat around the dinner table (still with seven bodies surrounding it), things didn’t seem quite right.

I know where they are. We talk almost daily. They continue to learn. They continue to grow. I love hearing about the adventures they are having. It’s exciting to see them in this next phase of life.

And yet.

I still miss them. Their presence here hasn’t been replaced (though the kids tried to get me to agree to replacement dogs to try).

By many standards we still have a full house. But regardless of how many remain, I still miss those who are gone.

Today, all five of the remaining kids were in the family room, doing various activities. I looked around, and again wondered who was missing before reminding myself that all were present and accounted for.

But not All.

Even though I know where they are, and I know I’ll see them again, it’s still a little lonely here.

And I wondered…

When Heavenly Father and Mother say goodbye to the beautiful spirits who set out on their journey to life on this earth—after the goodbyes are said, and final words of love and wisdom are intertwined with parting hugs and our Heavenly Parents return to their Heavenly Home, surrounded still by so many spirits… and though they know where we are, and what we are doing… and though they can talk to us regularly and are excited to see us progress…

does Heaven feel a little lonely to them?

I tend to think it does.