Raising children seems like an endless journey, but in reality they’re only ours for a minute.
My oldest daughter, Mallory, just finished her freshman year at UVA and returned home for a few days. She arrived with a bad cold, lots of laundry, and boxes full of stuff that we have no idea what we’re going to do with.
Other WRAL Top Stories
After a few days of recuperating, unpacking, and doing laundry, she is off for a beach trip with her sorority sisters. Then she is back for 48 hours before she leaves for a summer internship in New York City.
She said to me shortly after she left for college: “Mom, you know I will never really live at home again. I will only be home to visit.”
At the time, I brushed it off thinking surely that’s not the case. But now I realize that she was right. She is an adult making her way in the world. We have launched her from a safe, comfortable, nurturing home into the unknown. And while it’s scary to think about my firstborn on her own, especially in a big city, I know the alternative is worse.
A wise friend recently said to me: “Would you prefer that she failed to thrive?” Of course not. I want her to spread her wings and see where they take her.
So, I will soak in these little pockets of time when she graces us with her presence. I will remind myself that children do not belong to us. They are only ours for a minute and then they belong to the world ...
Amanda is the mom of two, a reporter for WRAL-TV and the author of several books including some on motherhood. Find her here on Mondays.