Wednesday, December 5, 2007

a funny thing happened

Oldest Daughter is 18 and has 1 1/2 years of college under her belt. She is a fine and wonderful person. I am excited for her to go out into the world, sow her oats, find her niche, make her mark... this is going to happen at the end of the summer. She will probably not go to university close to home. She will probably go to university abroad. I have been totally OK with this, until this afternoon.

This afternoon Oldest Daughter was late to return home. I was not concerned until I realized that she did not have a phone. Dad had the black phone and the silver phone was on my desk. I had not seen her since 7AM when she walked out the door with a grunt. Did she need me? Would she ask a stranger to use their phone? Did she have money? Had she eaten? Was she stranded? Did she need me and I was not there? This is a bad feeling for a parent to have. REALLY bad.

It was time to leave with Youngest Daughter for a dance class, but I could not leave without knowing that Oldest Daughter was safe and sound. I told the kids I was going to see if she was stuck at the transfer station. I took a phone in case she showed up. The drive to her transfer spot was not good. My imagination ran wild and I was full of the fear that she needed help and I was not there to help her.

Yes, she was there. She had missed 4, count 'em 4, buses that afternoon and was doing her best to limp her way home. She was fine. Hungry, tired, pissed off, but fine.

Me? Not so good. If this is the reaction I have to her being "on her own" while 5 miles from home, how am I going to cope with her being an 18 hour plane ride away?

I am going to need a Passport. And lots of wine.

2 comments:

Kris said...

I cannot imagine. My daughter is still in preschool and I am already in a panic over her going off to college one day. Yep... this may call for wine.

Kris said...
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