Crying as a Sign of Content?

Jack STILL cries whenever I drop him off at daycare. In fact, when I tell him in the morning that we'll be going to Aunti Marie's house, he starts whine/crying. He hasn't quite figured out how to rebel, so he'll just stand there,crying and cooperating while I put his hat and coat on. He cries in the car once he realizes we're on the road. He cries when we get in the house and cries up until I hand him over, walk back down the hallway, and (usually) stops when I get to the bottom of the stairs (out of sight). I hate it. I'm tense when I leave and it takes me a solid twenty minutes to let it go. All I can think is that he hates it there, that he hates not having blankie (we don't take it anymore), and he'll hate me for going.

This morning, after dropping Jack off and taking Ed to BU, Ed said that he cries because he feels good attachment to us. What??!! I told Ed he was talking out of his parenting ass. A bit annoyed-- and rightly so-- Ed went on to explain that it is because of Jack's healthy attachment to us that he has separation anxiety. It would be an issue if he had no problem leaving us, or if he cried and cried and cried. Apparently, this crying is a good thing. I do remember reading something about what Ed is talking about back when I would pour over every parenting book available (I gave that up the night they didn't give me a quick solution for how to understand the individual that is Jack).

I still hate it. Basically, Jack cries because he loves us and his home so much that he'd rather be with us. The thing is, us grown-ups have forgotten what it is like to purely just want to be at home with our family; we've adjusted to having to get things done, go to work, go to school, do all that other stuff that is supposed to make time with family worthwhile. Funny how all that other stuff tends to push family time down the list. Oh, well.

We're heading home to the Northwest for Christmas. I can't wait to be with Jack and all of our family all of the time. I do realize that it will only make daycare that much tougher when we get back, but I think it will be worth it. So, okay, the crying is the result of being loved well. I get it- it's all the bittersweetness our parents talk about. Whew. That's all it is...