Postscript by One Little Bird
This Year Elements by One Little Bird
Elmwood by Sara Gleason
Hey Mister by Karah Fredericks
Journaling Reads:
One day, I hope that you will look back on this page and smile. It is currently the first week of August 2017, and, once again, the blue trunk is being prepared for the teen's return to college. Summer is drawing to a close, and in less than two weeks, the car will be loaded again for the journey back to campus. This time, there will be a few more boxes to take with. This year, the Sophomore will have an apartment on campus. He is excited to be sharing the space with his roommate from last year, along with two friends from Freshman Year. Four boys in one space! This year they will have a kitchen and will be responsible for feeding themselves. Right now you are worried about whether they will be able to take care of themselves. Relax! They are teen boys and when they are hungry, they will eat! This week you have been going through the pantry and adding supplies from your stash - pasta and bottled sauce, canned goods, rice and a few other easy to cook staples. You are also sending along a toaster and a blender, so the teens can live off of toast and fruit smoothies if need be!
I know that once again you are feeling anxious, even though you keep telling yourself that it should be easier to let him go the second time around. Breathe! It is going to be OK. You have done this before, and even though you will miss him, you need to keep things in perspective. He is excited to be returning to college and continuing on the next phase of his journey. In the car, among all the boxes and his trunk, will be his new prized possession - the electric guitar he received for his 19th birthday. I am not sure if his roommates know what lies in store for them!
While it may not seem like it, time has a habit of passing quickly, and the semester will be over before you know it. The teen will come home for the holidays needing to be fed, and needing new winter clothes for his return to college.
Remember that you will also have his weekly text messages and phone calls to look forward to. When he returns home at the end of the semester, you will once again hug him, hold him tight and tell him that he has got taller, even though you didn't think that was possible. Then you will get to do it all over again. Treasure these moments, as hard as they seem, for one day you will realize that the college years have passed by far too quickly.
Above all, be kind to yourself. You've got this! The two of you are going to be just fine.
