Today Mickey Mouse Means Letting Go by Sydney Salter

What can I write about amusement parks? The old days of E Tickets? The time my dance team from Nevada performed at Disneyland and a group of cute guys asked us if we rode horses to school? In 1986, not 1886! I love amusement parks, but I wasn't sure how to find a blog-worthy topic. Fortunately a happy Magic Kingdom coincidence saved me. 

Early this morning I drove my daughters to the airport--for an amusement park vacation. My college-aged daughter and her boyfriend who lives in Florida are taking their little sisters to Disney World. I haven't met my daughter's boyfriend yet, but I already like him because the thought of seeing him makes my daughter sing and giggle at 6 o'clock in the morning. Still, it's strange that one of the most important people in her life is someone I've only seen in photos.

A few fellow soccer moms think I'm a little crazy to send my 15-year-old off with her sister to visit her boyfriend's family. One of the girls on the team assumed my oldest was getting married (that's likely a Utah thing). Yet, I understand how important it is for my daughters to continue making their own memories to strengthen their relationship--without me tagging along to add a sibling rivalry dynamic. I also want my 15-year-old to know the important people in her sister's life. 

As for me, I'm wandering around with an oddly-empty day ahead of me. Not even a soccer practice to frame my afternoon. I'm checking the Delta airlines flight tracker. Not sure why… I know that my daughters will easily navigate their plane change in Atlanta. My life's theme this year has been all about letting go, starting with sending my oldest off to college in Maine (again the soccer moms think I'm crazy). 

Only you YA Outside the Lines folks understand how the writing life prepares us for letting go. We're always sending tender pieces of ourselves off into the world to make their own way. Too bad our novels can't send text messages and Snapchats! Wouldn't that be comforting?