Whoa. Long time, no post. I think the "empty nest syndrome" is gonna hit me hard. My daughter, Skyler, is almost 15 and she's always busy with her social life or school functions. Must be preparations for when she does go out on her own. We do have a rental property next door to us that she'd LOVE to live in. Nah. Perhaps if we didn't need the income that it provides.....she could live there.

I think my parents were relieved when I left home. They still had one more home and in school. God, I remember that day so well. Still 17, I drove that 'Long And Winding Road' (the Beatles song was out then, too,) to my dormitory at ETSU in my old VW van. 12-string guitar and suitcases in the back. My mother followed behind to get me settled in and pay for my meal pass. We walked the 3 flights upstairs to room 302 at Dossett Hall.

My roommate, Daphne Wiggall, hadn't gotten there yet, so I chose a bed and began to unpack. Clothes, posters, art supplies, snacks. I looked like a female Robert Plant with long, wavy hair and holes in my patched jeans; and she was buttoned up to the neck with hose and loafers. Hmmmm. This ain't gonna work so well.

Freaking my roommate out turned into a great source of amusement. She watched horrified as I took down an old book from our bookshelf, and opened it up to reveal a hidden, cut out compartment that held my pot safely and securely. And stopped speaking to me altogether when I threw her panties out the window at our first Panty Raid.

Looking back now, I realize that I seldom thought about my family. My life was so full with college and my newfound independence. I know that your children are the center of your universe. But you're way down on their list of priorities. It doesn't mean they love you any less. It means your job as a parent is fundamentally over. And if you've done the best job you can, love them and let them go.

{note to self: read daily until you actually believe it}