While she awaits word yet on who her new roommate will be at school, our oldest keeps getting notifications about upcoming important dates and reminders. School starts in September. Her first year away from home. College. It’s exciting, but scary, she says.

We toasted our last official ‘family vacation’ together last night at dinner, at least in regard to time spent together in this stage of life for the kids. The house is going to be quiet without her. Graduation ceremonies didn’t make me sad. The goodbye, the 18 hours that will soon lie between us, will. She’s been thinking a lot about it lately and isn’t sure how all this will go. Last night she cried as she was packing up her things to get ready to head for home again today, because the move is coming sooner than later. I’ll cry when she packs up her things to go. And I’m certain when I get home and listen for her to come and go and just be present like she always has been.

The last time I really tried this journaling thing in earnest, it was to chronicle some important changes in her life and ours. I’m going to try this again. The days go by so fast.

Just two more months.