Staying connected

I'm feeling like I'm officially an empty-nester. My youngest, who is still in college, hasn't been home for a couple weeks now. She is finishing up this semester, but she has a fulltime job now. Instead of being a college girl with a job, she is now a working girl with a few classes to finish. The oldest has been living in another state for over a year now. I never imagined myself at this point in my life. I never imagined how it would feel to spend 25 years with two other humans that you adore emensly and would give your life for just to wake up every morning without them. Thats another blog. This one is about how we are trying desperately to stay connected.
I am very close to my daughters and they are very close with each other. As each one of us has chosen where we need to physically be in our lives, the others have gone through an adjustment period. We seemed to have settled in to this arrangement of not seeing each other often, but we haven't given up speaking to each other over the phone. Our voices keep us connected.
On the average, I speak with my daughters once a week and they speak with each other once a week. Usually, it is two times a week even if it only a 5 minute phone call to tell the other that you love her and miss her and hope that life is fine.
Not so the last month.
My oldest and I are planing a wedding over the phone and as the date grows closer, the amount of time we speak on the phone increases.
My youngest daughter is finishing up her last fulltime semester in college and has a twenty page term paper due and needs the assistance of her English teacher mom. We have been doing this over the phone.
I enjoy the extra time on the phone with my daughters even though I am not enjoying the work.
I truly love the sound of my daughters' voices. I can tell them apart even though other people can't. My husband can't tell them apart on the answering machine. I can tell the differences in their voices. But there are other clues on the machine he should look for. The youngest will say in a matter-of-fact voice..."Hey mom. Call me back when you get this. love you." The oldest says in a sing-songy voice..."Hi, its your daughter, call me back. love you."
Even my coworkers can't tell the difference despite my oldest rarely calling me at work. She did yesterday. In fact they both did. My schedule changed so I wasn't home yesterday when they tried to callso they both called work. They found me. We always find each other.
I have talked with my youngest while she was in Germany, the Dominican, and sunbathing in Californa. She has called me from airports, libraries, work, and a lot of times while driving. My oldest has called from the barn after feeding her horses in W. Virginia, from Haiti, Colorado, Texas and now Ohio. She calls from Walmart or the school parking lot before going to class.
I have resigned myself to the fact that my children will always be living a life at a distance from me and each other. They won't ever settle in Michigan. That's the way they were raised--go live your life and see something of the world.
I thank the cell phone gods for free long distance!