I'm taking my oldest to college today. Since she was born, we've moved across the country three times, had parents and grandparents pass away, and had all other sorts of major life changes everyone goes through, but today far and away is the biggest jolt to me and our family since the day her sister was born.
Through all the other events, she was there and we were the same family unit and now it is a completely different structure. But unlike a birth, where you generally have months of anticipation and preparation and the mom's body is changing and there is needing and everyone's schedule is changing and it is simply a wild shock to the family structure and how everyone lives their lives, this was just a day on the calendar and tomorrow we kinda keep doing what we were doing before and it feels wrong. I feel like I need a ceremony or something so I can pric process this new void in our lives properly move on. I'm sure we'll all be fine and deal with it, but tomorrow that amazing person who has been a brilliant part of my life since she was born clearly will no longer be a child, and I won't be able to be there for her every day and she won't able to be there for me. I'm excited for her, scared for her, proud of her, and sad. Even if there is a little excitement about the rest of us entering our next phase of life.
Anyway, it goes fast. Enjoy it!
Well put, Rusty.
Helped my oldest move into her sophomore year apartment last week. I felt like you describe during last year’s first move to the dorm. This year was a bit harder for me in some ways, due to the likely permanence of it.
On the other hand it, it’s super fun to live vicariously through her stories of a young person’s life.
Meanwhile my son is a Junior in HS and I am squeezing every god damn ounce of fun out of this thing until he heads to college. I am turning my garage into a golf simulator and man cave, the rough ridin' Hondas can rot on the driveway while we hit balls and talk crap.
My oldest moved into the soph apt this week too. Since college is only 25 min away, and because my daughter has told me, catastrophe aside, that she won't be living in my house again. It's rough. Even this summer's job was in Lawrence and she commuted. She is in love with that dirty run down shanty town.
My son is a senior in HS and can't tell us enough how excited he is for college next year. This time next year, both will be out. Our job is to put ourselves out of biz, and the better you are at that job, the worse it makes you feel. That all said, it's rough ridin' awesome watch my girl kill it at college. I love hearing about her new huge friend group, full of great young adults, and watching her navigate what she wants out of all that and I also can't wait to see my son do that in a year.
