The Beginning...you in?

Tomorrow we visit a college.  No, not for me, but for our youngest son.  Our first official college visit.  He's deciding which college he wants to attend.  Overwhelmed? Yes.  Scared?  Yes.  Excited.  Yes.

I know I share this feeling with so many other parents across the country and actually around the world.  As parents, we are on the same journey.  We are letting them go. We raised our children, hopefully to make the right decisions. Our children will have plenty of  hard decisions.  Some good, some not so good.  

Do I think he can do this?  Of course.  Do I think he will be scared?  Yes.  Will he miss us?  Yes. And that's what scare me.  I know he will be fine.  We all were fine when we left home.  But all you parents know exactly what I'm saying. I won't dwell.  And neither should you.  Our kids are strong.  They are smart and funny. They are individuals and they are followers.  They will fall and yes, they will rise.  Who will feed them?  Who will remind them about the sleet and dangerous streets?  Who will remind them to take their shoes off the sofa?  Who will drive them crazy?
 They will make mistakes and  you better believe they will hear our voices in their heads.  We will miss them and visit them as much as we can.  You can do this, we will chant, the minute we hear sadness in their voice during those phone calls. 

But for now, he's with his friends tonight and tomorrow we drive three hours to visit a college that has accepted him and has offered him a scholarship.  We, I mean, he hasn't decided yet, which college he will attend, but watching him make the decision is like watching him, as a young boy, play with his Legos.  He's building, tearing down, deciding what to create.  I watched him then, and I will continue to watch with wonder and pride.