When my son graduated from high school in June, one of the speakers said the words in my title. I have reflected on these words a couple times over the summer and thought about how true the words were. Yesterday was another one of those days, a happy sad kind of day. Yesterday, I took my first born to college. Yesterday was one of the happiest and saddest days of my life. Add to it being separated from my husband, it made it really tough. Thankful we get along and are trying to make things work so the day went great from that aspect but when I got home and cried, I longed for strong arms around me to hold me and tell me it would be okay. Instead, I was the strong arms, crying with my sobbing daughter, feeling like a puddle of mush.
It was a happy day. I am so proud of my son. He is a great man. He is so strong. I am very happy and proud that he is going to school, using his talents and bettering himself. He will do well and graduate with a Computer Science Degree and a minor in Music.
I admire him, I never went away to school. I have a 2 yr. degree and lived at home until I got married. I have others experience to draw on but know frame of reference for myself. I talked to my middle son about this on the way home yesterday. So proud that he is planning on Chemical Engineering or Pre-med. Proud that I have raised confident children through all of my crap I am going through, I did okay and will continue to do okay. As I got home last night, B text me from college. He said, “I am having a great time. love you.” I was a proud puddle of tears.
I will get through this. It will all pass. He will come home for Thanksgiving, Christmas and in the summer. We will talk and be close. It will never be the same but we will settle into a new normal. I am and will always be his mother.
This is gonna make me cry! I too stayed at home til I got married so if my girls go away it’ll def be something new to handle. I think you’re doing a great job and being strong for him. xo
AWE!!!! You should be so proud friend. You have done an amazing job. You are still doing it by allowing him these experiences. I am so proud of you both. XOXO
He sounds like a great “kid” and that’s a testament to some great parenting. I was listening to a story on NPR this morning about parents dropping their kids off at school and I was in tears. I know I have a long time before Luke and Emily leave home, but a happy-sad kind of day is a perfect way to describe it.