Mom's post about her kids' 18th and final summer will break your heart
To this mom, a porch full of shoes means a house filled with kids.
Heather Duckworth's bittersweet message about her sons' last summer at home is tugging at parents' heartstrings.
Duckworth of Tampa, Florida, shared an image of shoes belonging to her children and their friends that were scattered on her front porch. The Facebook post received over 64,000 likes.
"It just blows my mind, but apparently a lot of other mamas are feeling this way," Duckworth told "Good Morning America" of her post. "Just looking at their shoes that have been sitting on my porch, it made me sad that they're all going in different directions. I know some will come home next summer and some won't."
She added, "It's all good and it's all part of life."
Duckworth's teenage sons, both 18, graduated from high school this year. She also has a 20-year-old son in college and an 11-year-old daughter.
Duckworth said she shared the photo with her followers after coming to the realization that her boys were moving on.
In her post, she wrote:
"I have to remind myself of that often during this 18th summer because every moment seems bittersweet. But for now, I will embrace these shoes and I will be so thankful for them. I will buy all the snacks. I will welcome these kids into my home and let them crash on my couches. I will soak up the sounds of their laughter and I will make them clean up all of their messes. I will pray that everyone drives home safely and I will love having a full house."
Duckworth said her heart hurts knowing that her boys are leaving the nest, but she knows "the shoes will come back."
