We drop Nu off at college on Wednesday--that's coming up fast! I'm fueled by excitement for Nu and an ever-expanding to-do list before drop-off and the approach of back-to-school duties of my own. I know I'll get to Wednesday just fine... but I wonder how it'll feel coming back home after drop off.
Sometimes I'm curious about how it might feel not to be a full-time parent after 26 years of being one. Max and Huck are much easier than Nu--perhaps it'll feel... liberating?At other times I'm deeply aware of what an immense shift this is and know that things will never ever be the same again. Even though there will probably be plenty of visits and summers spent at home...
14 comments:
Look at those smiles!! Everyone looks so happy in that photo! I am glad Nu is getting such a great send off. It is true that it will never be the same but your relationship will grow in different ways! I hope their first semester of college is wonderful! College is where I really blossomed and found my people - I wish the same for Nu!
OMG it's going to be a huge shift and I think once you get past the initial transition phase, it just might feel liberating. Then again, what do I know, Jake is still here. But wow, that is coming up fast!
Cute photo.
I can only imagine the complicated feelings…liberation, sadness, so many things.
It will be everything: liberating, lonesome, strange, satisfying, relaxing, and at times as if you're a mother bird looking for the eggs that a hawk stole from her nest. Lisa and Nicole are both wise in what they say.
(And thank goodness for video calling so that you can see them when you talk!)
I'll be very curious to know what it feels like! I'm facing the same transition in two years. I'm guessing there will be some hard moments, and then you'll adjust and thrive- just like all the big transitions in our lives, we'll figure it out!
Thank you for the lovely wish, Lisa! We've all been giving Nu our best "advice" for adulting too.
I think my imagination has failed--I can't see beyond drop-off! Jake is independent so the dynamic must be different for you too, right?
Thank you!
Truly! But there will be a time after this time too, I suppose...
Omigosh--yes!
What my own mother must have felt when I moved continents and could only make weekly international phone calls...
I'll be the big sis in this!
Our nest never quite emptied, so I can't give you any advice from the other side. I have been thinking, though, that while I'm sad North is headed back to school in less than a week, I am less emotional about it than any college drop-off so far. It's not the first year for anyone, it's not the first year after 1.5 years at home due to covid, they are not headed for another continent. It would seem almost anticlimactic if it wasn't for the unresolved health issues, which it seems they are going to have to navigate themselves away from us
There's still time for North's recent health issue to resolve before school starts, and I hope that happens!! (Sending energies, wishes, and vibes.) It'll be so much easier on everyone. I'll be interested in how drop-off goes and if you and Beth are doing it or if North is getting a ride from schoolmates.
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