The Empty Nest Syndrome
Or How I Managed to Survive College
We spent as much time together as our schedules would allow before she left. I knew that she was an amazingly level headed young lady, and that she would do ok on her own, but I was going to miss out on all the firsts of college life. You know, the first college party, the first college kiss, the first college boyfriend...
And then it hit me... I too had "run away from home" to go to college. I went from New York to Florida. My mom survived. Of course, my mom had my younger sister to keep her company.
But this was different, somehow. This letting go. I didn't think that this would affect me like this. It was... joyful and painful and... Have you ever watched a butterfly come out the cocoon? And marveled at the sight? Watching her, from the time that she crossed that stage at her high school graduation, through that summer, until we put her on that plane to Phoenix, was like that. She matured, but was very much like the little girl that always seemed to blow me away with her questions.
But in this age of cell phones, instant messengers, email and internet, she really isn't running that far away. And I can always visit her. As long as I give her enough notice so she can hide whatever guy she's seeing... she's always been rather cagey about letting her boyfriends meet the parents. Smart girl.
So now we are into the sophomore year... the Sun Devils are still her favorite football team, frat guys are still asking her out and are baffled by her moral code and she is considered the best beer pong ref amongst her friends (when she does play, she has a "designated drinker" because she is usually the designated driver). She is still a straight A student, and I'm still a mom... we text almost every day, email at least once a day, talk on the phone twice a week and IM almost every night. I fly out to visit at least twice a semester, and she visits during Christmas and Spring Break, and I get to see her in the summer.
I think I'm going to survive college after all...
Published by Rebecca Kesler
I am an over educated non-traditional Pagan and a military wife working on yet another degree, with no idea on what I want to be when I grow up. View profile
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1 Comments
Post a CommentHow sweet! I hope my daughter and I remain close like that. She is only 13 but I will definitely miss her when she does go off to college. I dread that day but I know it will come and their won't be anything I can do to change it. Wonderful story!