The Countdown to College Has Begun

Exactly three weeks from today, my son - my firstborn - will move into his dorm and officially become a college student. Life as we know it will never be the same.

Break out the Kleenex.

It will be tough to cut the apron strings. Don't get me wrong - his senior year of high school and this summer have been a challenge. Getting him to do anything was extremely difficult, from applying to colleges to cleaning his room to getting a hair cut. I won't miss this stuff one bit. But I can't imagine our home without him. It's going to be an adjustment.

I'm facing the reality that I must, once again, redefine who I am. First and foremost I'm a mother, so the thought of an empty nest is hard to comprehend. Fortunately, my daughter is 16 and I have two more years to adjust to the concept.

But in a few weeks, if you hear crying and sniffling, it's just me and countless other parents sending our children off to college, just as so many parents before us have done. I'll be fine - and if you have a tissue to share, I'll gladly take it.

Photo by David Lat