Maternal musings

My daughter went back to school today. She's a third-year student at DePaul, so you'd think I'd be used to her comings and going by now.

Nuh-uh.

They're still hard. Saying goodbye at the airport I get very brisk so that I don't make a complete fool of myself by starting to blubber in public. Julie does the same, but adds some humor to her demeanor as well. Today she said, "Mom, who will I talk with about this?"

What can I say? We have a close relationship that's not necessarily built on a foundation of high culture.

In any case, I'm not the only one who has trouble dealing with Julie's departures. When Allie saw Julie get out her suitcase this morning, she looked right at it, then looked away. Later, she made it clear that she did not want to go for a last walk with Julie, and when Julie went to say goodbye to Allie, our golden girl not only refused to give any kisses but wouldn't even look at her. And now, she won't let me out of her sight.

Sigh. Goodbyes are hard.