The days are ticking down. Some students are heading off to college next week, the week after and at the end of August. There's still things to do. Hopefully they are already registered for their classes and have their schedules set. There's a lot to get organized. If they're moving into a dorm you may still be looking for desklamps, computers, or packing totes. If they'll be commuting they may be looking for a car or at least some reliable friends to carpool with.
It seems like only yesterday my kids were preparing for the first day of grade school and then it was junior high and high school. Every year we had a routine. I took the kids shopping for school clothes and backpacks and my husband then took them for school supplies. As the years went by my husband and daughter developed a tradition all their own. The week before school started the 2 of them would head out for a day of fun at CJ Barrymores. Once she got her driver's license the go-cart episodes took on a life of their own.
In a few short weeks my daughter will move into her dorm room, so she and I had some quality one-on-one mother/daughter time last night. We went to Somerset and stood in line for nearly an hour to attend the (invitation only) Vera Bradley 30th anniversary celebration. Nothing says female bonding like spending nearly 2 hours standing up with 100s of other women in a store filled with literally everything a new female college student could ever need or want. We spun the wheel, each won a Ditty Bag, and she left with her new Marina Paisley Mailbag. Something she had worked hard at her summer job to acquire. We then spent some quiet time over Chicken Pot Pie soup from Zoup. It was a nice evening all the way around. Several times she said had a good time.
Yes, our kids are growing up and stepping into the next phase of their life journey, but take some time and enjoy the NOW. Have a meal with them, have a conversation with them, see how they're doing with all that's going on, see if they're feeling overwhelmed, see if they're excited. As parents, we've spent the last 18 years talking and guiding and helping to shape their futures ... now it's time to sit back and listen and just be there for them.
For more information about the author, Jennifer Meyers, please check her blog at:
http://ANewSeasonOfInsights.blogspot.com
