Today, I make the long drive out of state to take my daughter to college for her freshman year. She is the last to leave the nest. I am very excited for her and proud of the way she ended her high school life. So many honors and promises of great things to come. She is also excited about  becoming a college student, but sad to leave too! She understands that while college life is a new beginning, it is also the ending of 18 years of mother-daughter daily time together. And even though I know we are both ready to begin this new chapter, it is still sad.

Moms (and Dads) not only lose the daily interaction with their children,  but also lose the relationships with many of their friends. It may be strange, but the house will feel a bit empty without all the those teens in and out, eating us out of house and home.

The spur of the moment runs to Dairy Queen for Blizzards will cease.

Days and nights spent sweating, then freezing, watching our daughter cheer at football games will be no more.

Screaming at the refs during high school basketball will not be my husband’s stress relief anymore.

I will no longer run the concession stand for games.

No more dance recitals and trips to the studio to bring forgotten shoes and costume pieces.

No more school plays and drama presentations at which to clap loudly and cheer on the emerging performer.

No more late nights of homework help trying to remember any Calculus equation, much less help with that subject.

No more late night discussions of classic literature and why books are still important to read!

I could go on and on and probably will, but my point is that moms and dads grieve the loss of a stage of life when kids go to college. It is sad when our babies are no longer our babies and off in the world to find their places. It is also a time to feel incredible thankful of how they turned out and will take on the world. But for a few weeks, I’ll be sad. I’m sure I will adjust. Thankfully, we have Skype and other ways to “see” our kids once in awhile.

It’s a new season in life filled with both hope and loss. So a few tears are perfectly in order right now!

How are you coping with sending your kids to college?