Many parents go thru this change in life when they take their sons or daughters to college. I wasn't sure what I was going to feel when this occurred in my life. Is the experience different when the child is your first born or your last child, I'm sure it is. I have two kids still at home, so no empty nest.
I think the anxiety for me is letting go of doing everything for my daughter. I think it will be worse for my daughter than for me tho. I wanted to be a stay at home mom, so doing everything for my kids is what I signed up for. But now I have let go of one child to let her be 'on her own'. No fear of her not being able to make it, she will get into the groove soon just like all freshmen do. But oh what a change for her.
Getting her room set up yesterday, we did a nice job and her roommate was already settled, but the size of the room....most of us have gone thru it and made it but now comes the time to share EVERYTHING. I have to admit, I loved college, but I do not envy the small living quarters. No privacy, no space, no personal bathroom. This is such a rite of passage tho isn't it?
Things sure have changed since I attended the same college my freshman year 24 years ago. Moving in day is so much more organized AND they had other students available to help you move in all your belongings along with providing big carts! That would have been so very helpful when I lived on the 3rd floor. The dorm I was in, no a/c, no wireless internet, no cable tv, no cell phones, we had to talk in the hallway on the two phones there. And now the dorms are coed!?! I sound like a very old person now.
The time came to say our goodbyes and most of you know, I am a very emotional person(so is my hubby)but we didn't shed one tear! I think my feelings were of excitement moreso than sadness. I want my daughter to enjoy her college experience and take it all in. This is a time for growth for my her, but we also grow as parents as we learn to let go of our children and see them as adults. I wish her well!
1 comment:
She WILL do well! Congratulations on nurturing one out of the nest. It's hard, but that's the end result of this job. I can't believe, though, that you didn't need your sunglasses. I sobbed all the home (almost three hours) from Eugene to Vancouver when I dropped off Jarrod. When Troy went to school, I didn't even notice because he had moved to an apartment several months before. He says he felt "left out" because I wasn't there and I had assumed that he had it all under control -- so much for mom-intuition...
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