Packing Up 18 Years of Memories
There are moments in life you know are coming, but somehow you’re never quite ready when they arrive.
Sending our daughter off to college is one of those moments.
For years, college seemed so far away. There were school mornings, homework, practices, activities, birthdays, vacations, and a million ordinary days in between. At the time, some of those days felt long. Now, looking back, the years feel incredibly short.
And suddenly, here we are.
We’re buying things for a dorm room, making lists, packing boxes, and trying to remember everything she might possibly need. There’s excitement in all of it because we know she’s about to begin an amazing new chapter. She’ll meet new people, learn new things, become more independent, and start figuring out exactly who she wants to be.
We are so proud of her.
But if we’re being completely truthful, this part is hard.
How do you spend 18 years raising someone, worrying about them, cheering for them, driving them everywhere, listening to their stories, and simply having them be part of your everyday life—and then suddenly leave them at college and drive home without them?
I’m not sure there’s a way to prepare for that.
I know she’s ready. I know this is exactly what we raised her to do: grow up, become independent, and go build a life of her own.
But knowing that doesn’t mean we won’t miss her like crazy.
We’ll miss hearing her come through the door. We’ll miss the conversations, the laughter, the little everyday things we probably never thought twice about. I suspect even some of the things that used to drive us crazy are going to feel strangely quiet when they’re gone.
Maybe that’s the hardest part of parenting. You spend all these years teaching them how to eventually need you a little less, while secretly wishing time would slow down just a little more.
So, as we get ready to send our girl off to college, there are a lot of emotions around here. Pride. Excitement. Worry. Happiness. And yes, probably more than a few tears.
Mostly, though, there is gratitude.
Gratitude for the last 18 years. For the memories we’ve made. For the young woman she has become. And for the privilege of getting to be her parents.
We know this isn’t really goodbye. It’s just a new chapter for all of us.
But goodness… how did we get here so fast?
Comments