I called a friend the other day and she screamed at me. This is what we want on social media! And she was right she got the raw real and uncut version of what was really going on behind sending as the morning of moving had arrived. A calendar date set since February 24th. Her daughter also off to college for the first time. She’s been there through everything and the Mom knows Mia better than anyone.
The real and uncut version was me swearing on my life that Mia wouldn’t make it to college that day or ever. The version that she got was an entire meltdown of our personalities for one day with all the emotions mixed in. We were mad at her because she hadn’t finished paperwork. We were yelling because she should have done it earlier. She was yelling at us because we bought the wrong lids to bins that she should have checked a week ago. She said she was packed, but was she really? She was upset because she had just seen all her friends leave for colleges. She was also exhausted because she had spent the last night out with friends celebrating what had been probably the most epic summer vacation ever. We were all a mess. It was a hot mess Morming and unless you’ve been through it, you just might not get it.
We did finally made it into the car with everything. So we arrived, and we unpacked the car, and we started getting everything into her dorm room. We were also celebrating Chance‘s birthday so we took a break to go eat dinner. The mood has started to lighten. Jokes and smiles were starting. Remember fun and funny inside jokes only we would get.
We went shopping in the most horrendous of conditions, which is a Target on move-in week in a college town. If you have never been to a Target, in a college town ON move in week, I would highly NOT recommend ever going (think Christmas Eve at 4pm before the store closes).
As a wise friend said, these are her memories to make without us. The ones she will know. The ones we won’t. And that’s ok. It’s life.
Once we got back, the sunlight was beginning to fade, and so we’re all of our heightened emotions. As it became dark, we knew it was time to go and for us to say goodbye. And it wasn’t even goodbye for very long as we still have to move Jake up next week. But it was symbolic and very emotional. It’s never going to be easier. As somebody told me, it is not easy for anybody when one leaves the nest. Not easy for anyone.
I think that this picture sums up all the emotions for our entire family. We are so beyond proud, that she is able to have this experience and she begins HER new chapter. As a wise friend said, these are her memories to make without us. The ones she will know. The ones we won’t. And that’s ok. It’s life.
We are holding on tight to all of the memories we’ve made for the past 18 years, we know there are many more to be made with our family, but the new chapter begins for her, ready or not. She’s ready. We are too. And it’s ok to be sad.
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