Ok so school started back up for both my college bound kids. Our son, moved himself in, packed his truck, hugged me goodbye and off he went. (He’s only about an hour and half away). We have seen him a couple times since. Hunting season is upon us, so you know he needs to get ready for that, right? Every time he walks in and out, already so independent, I just want to ask “don’t you need me”? Secretly not sure what answer I wanted lol)
Our daughter goes three hours away, so her trip requires a little bit of strategic planning. (Good thing that’s my husband’s job for work).
So we have our neighborhood Labor Day BBQ, which, of course, is near our home, so after a great afternoon of amazing food, wonderful friends (we have been blessed with awesome neighors), kids having water balloon fights and trash bags full of our afternoon feast debris, we cleaned up, then started packing our daughter’s college bound belongings.
Have I told you I don’t move very fast? Thanks to my OA, RA and Fibromyalgia, it takes me quite awhile to get moving enough to actually say I’m ready. 430am came QUICK.
Two travel coffee mugs later, we are out the door, dad, mom & daughter. Three hours later we are at her college where she runs into a few friends from last year. We get her keys, find a cart among the endangered cart preserve to load all her “stuff” up. About an hour later she’s picked her bed, started unpacking, decided what she lacks, for our obligatory trip to the local department store, and we head out for another huge pile of “stuff”.
We get back, meet her roommate, help unload the final bin so we can again return the cart to the endangered cart corral. My husband had to turn over his driver’s license to get one of those endangered carts! 🤓
Our only 19 year old daughter turns, says “ok you can go now”. We offer lunch, offer anymore shopping (yeah I know we are procrastinating), she replies “nope I’m good”.
Needless to say, I’m bereft, but happy, too. As much as we all knew it was time, it’s hard to see her want to do it all herself. It means we’ve done what we are meant to do as parents….bittersweet.
Knowing you’ve done all you can (even though there are days you really wish you could start over, knowing what you know now), helps ease the empty ache as they walk out the door into a life of their own.
With today’s technology (I grew up BEFORE Internet, before cell phones, THANK THE HEAVENS), it’s easy to reach out. It gives a bit of comfort knowing they are just a phone call, text, Facebook message, tweet (if I ever learn how), Skype, Instagram or Snap chat (again, if I ever learn) away.
~The Musings Of A Harried Housewife~ 