Thursday, October 1, 2015

When Your Child Goes to College: The Heartbreak We're Expected to Get Over in a Weekend.



It started senior year. A sudden awareness of the time being reduced to "months left"..."weeks left". I kept it to myself, this mental hourglass. Last back-to-school shop. Last Halloween. Last Spring Break. Then it was May. Last day of making her coffee, packing her school lunch. Was she aware too? We never talked about it.

June brought a flurry of graduation and senior week events...parties and beach trips with her friends - sunburns and late nights out...the separation was starting already and no one had asked me to sign off on it. I told myself we still had "all summer". But it was different. She was home to sleep, but not much more. I let curfews and questions kind of slip away because she was an adult now, and it was only a matter of weeks (days?) until she answered to no one but herself.

Those August days leading up to move-in weekend I kept my mind busy with lists and purchases: mattress toppers, bulletin boards, desk lamps, bed risers. Meal plans, bank accounts, passwords, parking passes. Every now and then, when no one was home, it would consume me like those waves in the surf that you realize at the last second you misjudged. I would crumple to the couch and cry with an anguish that I hadn't ever even heard in my voice. She was leaving me. My baby was really leaving.

The day of the drive up I was fine - it was exciting and nostalgic, evoking memories of my own freshman year. Our little foursome unloaded the car and moved her stuff in, one family unit among thousands of others, all performing identical tasks, all feeling identical feelings.

Hours later, when it became apparent that the girls' room was "done" with unpacking and decorating, and it was "Time", we offered to take our goodbye outside to give each family some privacy.  I looked over at her roommate's mom and saw the tears beginning to fill her eyes, and impulsively hugged her. Tightly.  We probably stayed that way for a full minute, two total strangers crying on each others' shoulder. The dads chuckled and the girls rolled their eyes. "Oh my God, Mom..." For that minute, this stranger knew me better than anyone else in the world.

Down in the courtyard, my daughter hugged her little sister, then her dad, then me. She had a meeting to get to. She wasn't sad, or scared, or heartbroken. She was ready.

On the walk back to the car, there were many moms in sunglasses. Dads walking purposefully, nothing to see here..we got this. Younger siblings who weren't quite sure what kind of change this would bring for them.

The worst moment came when we returned home. Walking through the door without her made it all real. I climbed the stairs to her bedroom, which was still disheveled from her final pack.. took the pillow she'd slept on, hugged it to my chest and sank to the floor.

I feel somehow that it's disrespectful to parents who've actually lost children to describe the utter heartbreak and grief of that moment. But it was real...and all-consuming.

"You should be happy for her!" friends admonished. Of course I was. "She'll be back for Thanksgiving," others said. Yes, she would. But an 18-year chapter of my life had abruptly ended in less than a day. It was time for her to start her own life. And then I realized the thing I was grieving most:  She'll always be everything to me, but I'll stop being everything to her.

And that is motherhood. And I just need a little time.





10 comments:

Patty said...

WOW....I went thru those feelings with my first son. You wrote "my" feelings to a T. My son has now been married for almost 9 years and I still miss "my little boy". It will get better. Hugs from Pennsylvania.

Maggie said...

Yes, it is disrespectful to parents who have lost a child. I've lost one child and sent two to college. Sending them to college is indeed momentous. It's the end of one era in your family and the beginning of another one. But heartbreak? Seriously? Pray you never have to go there.

Merrie said...

We are allowed to grieve the loss of a child going off to college in our own way. Thankfully it's different than the grief of a child that is lost to us. You didn't write anything disrespectful. That last sentence was PERFECT -- that you realize they are still the most important thing to you, but you are no longer the most important thing to them. You weren't comparing it to the death of a child in ANY WAY. You are pointing out what it's like to see your baby, the one you gave your everything to for 18 years, go off on their own in a way that means they are never coming back in the same way. Well written -- my hats off to you. My son is 14 and a freshman, and while I don't know that a college drop-off is in his future, but I do know that there will be a goodbye to his childhood with me one day, and I dread it.
Thank you for this post -- and you are in my thoughts. I hope your daughter has a WONDERFUL first year of college.

Sue Wilkey said...

Maggie: I cannot even imagine enduring such a loss. My heart goes out to you. In answer to your question, "heartbreak? Seriously?"

Yes. Heartbreak. Seriously.

Sammy said...

That was a nice sweet read.

Shelley said...

I've sent one daughter off to the army (talk about heartbreak), and another one off to live her own life. My youngest just started middle school, and reading this made me cry for the future when I will let her go. I don't know if I can.

TheRixonFive said...

I loved this so much, I linked to it on my blog. I'm certain not a popular blogger, but I wanted you to know it was out there. =) I've followed your blog for years and years and even bought your book which I read out loud in one evening TO my husband who laughed so hard he cried. I hope you find it in you to write more!
http://stormingthehill.com/2016/02/12/motherhood-the-great-breaker-of-hearts/

Unknown said...

Just look for yourself how quickly you can insure your own drone and how easy the completion of a drone insurance actually works! Browse now purely and get professional manner!
For more Drone Insurance

Schauen Sie einfach selbst, wie schnell Sie Ihre eigene Drohne versichern lassen können und wie einfach der Abschluss einer Drohnen Versicherung tatsächlich funktioniert! Klicken Sie sich jetzt rein und sichern Sie sich professionell ab!
voor meer Drohnen Versicherung

Unknown said...

Durham Martial Artist Helps Local Children Build Self-Confidence And Strong Character.Martial Arts is a tool used to build confidence, discipline, respect, appreciation, focus, and much more! This is exactly what Luc Trudell of InnerActive Martial Arts sets out to do in his daily life.
Need this so click here
Community ON BuzzFeed

Unknown said...

great and best blog thanks
Cinematographer in jaipur