The first transport is away...

So, it comes down to this...

Tonight our little science experiment (aka “first child”) gets on a train and heads to college.  Or from another view:  he leaves to begin his life on his own, without us.  And none of our lives will be the same after.  From here on, whenever he comes home he will be a visitor.  If he ever “lives” in our house again it will be considered to be because something has gone wrong.  That’s the way it works.

When he was 6 we made the decision to push him forward into 1st grade. His entire life, most of his friends from sports and activities outside of school have been a grade behind him.  They are all starting their Senior year in high school this year. Their parents have another year.  They’re just now painting their names on the stadium walkway.  Band camp is starting. The excitement of the final year of high school, and the dream of college plans, is just beginning.  For us it’s a memory. He’s leaving home.

In a way, we were all a bit cheated out of his last year because of his health problems – they tainted everything, made the time fly by, clouded the enjoyment for him and us of so many things his last year.  But even though it’s easy to say I wish we had another year – that would just delay the inevitable, and be extremely self-serving.

He’s leaving home to start his new individual life. Sure, he did his own things in high school, but now it’s all new – a clean slate.  No friends you’ve known for 16 years, and no one having any legacy information about you at all. From here on, it’s all what he will make of it. An adult life. I’m sure it’s more scary for him than depressing for us – but that will change quickly.  We’ll still have the empty chair at the kitchen table and the bedroom filled with mementos but with an empty bed long after he’s realized how great his new life and new opportunities are.  He’ll do fantastic, and we’ll be his biggest fans - for life.

So, to our little science experiment:  Go, start your new life, have the time of your life. Don’t worry about us, but don’t forget us.  And remember these things:  we’ll always be rooting for you, we’ll always be here, and we did a pretty good job – you’re ready for the world.  So go give ‘em hell!