Sloane Heffernan: Borrowed time

I am not talking about death. This particular farewell is not nearly as dramatic and final, but it can sometimes feels that way. I am talking about the moment when your child heads off to college. The way my cousin describes it, this major life transition feels like a form of “grief.”

I have been thinking about this moment a lot lately as my oldest son begins his senior year of high school. In the past, I viewed this right-of-passage as a major accomplishment for family and friends with older children. At that time my kids were younger, and I couldn’t quite comprehend that there would come a day that I would be dropping off my beloved, first born at college. “Someday” felt like no day soon.

This year, however, has been different. I have felt a sting of sadness as I scroll through social media posts highlighting friends dropping their kids off at college. I am now on the doorstep of that milestone when a parent goes from holding their child’s hand to holding onto memories.

Senior year may have just started, but the school is already sending reminders about college essays, senior photos and graduation. The clock that moved so slowly when they were babies has suddenly sped up.

In my mind, I know that we were never meant to keep our children forever. It’s all been borrowed time. As a parent it is our job to prepare them to leave the nest. I just never imagined (despite what my mother told me) how fast the time would fly.

As we countdown the final days of high school, I will remind my heart to cherish every moment and milestone, and practice living in the present - where time is always on our side.