Original Post - August 27, 2016
The carpet near the door still holds the impressions of where numerous plastic bins, boxes and bags sat at the ready just a few days ago. The impression in my heart will take longer to fill back in.
Two of my daughters' rooms are now perfectly tidy, beds are nicely made and that would normally make a mom happy. Within a week I sent two daughters off to college so those clean rooms mean that temporarily they are living somewhere else. One is a college sophomore and the other one has just begun her college journey. Last night on the way home after hugging my second daughter goodbye, I glanced in the back seat expecting to see her sleeping soundly as I've seen her hundreds of times. A vacant seat and empty boxes was all that remained. Cue tears. Nothing. Wait, what? No misty eyes. What lingered however was peace... peace they she was in the right school and more than prepared and capable for the challenges ahead. I remembered feeling the same thing after I dropped off her older sister for the first time at college a year ago. Did the lack of outward emotion make me a heartless mom? My friends all spoke of their tearful, difficult drives home. Where was my sobbing heartache?
Sand went through my hourglass faster than I would have liked. My husband and I did our jobs and we were blessed to raise confident, independent, bright girls that are ready to take on the world, starting with college. There are colorful experiences ahead of them, friends to make and no reason to look back and cry. I smiled and left to go home. I couldn't wait to hear about their adventures.