A New Beginning by Sydney Salter
I've been taking a writing break this summer to focus on a different kind of beginning--my daughter's new life as a college student 2,500 miles away. We've been gathering all the materials she'll need from twin XL sheets to soft, happy-studying hoodies. We've "edited" 18 years of living down to 11 boxes:
I often catching myself staring at the boxes wondering what the next four years will bring for my daughter, me, my husband, her younger sister--the pet lizard that she'll be leaving with us (10 more years, really???). And where will all the stuff end up after that? So many unknowns and plot twists to come!
I've spent so much time thinking--and trying to do it without getting weepy--about how my daughter will now live her life without my daily input. She'll be out in the world on her own.
And it's a lot like that manuscript that we begin by gathering materials, worrying over, developing, and nurturing until it becomes a book--with a life all its own.
Happy new beginnings to all you novelists and college students alike!
I know this is a normal part of life but it scares the crap out of me--You're doing great but I think the cat is in denial. ((((((hugs)))))))
ReplyDeleteKitty's gonna miss that girl!
ReplyDeleteBest of luck and happy beginnings to both of you!
ReplyDeleteHappy new beginning to your daughter and you! You made me teary thinking about when this day arrives.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who works with college students, I love this new beginning. 18 years of life down to 11 boxes, what a beautiful line! good luck to you all!
ReplyDeleteThanks, everyone!
ReplyDeleteAs someone who has survived their freshman year and is going back for seconds (and thirds, and fourths), it is wonderful even when it's hard.
ReplyDeleteIf it helps, the parent/child relationship in many ways becomes even more rewarding when they are forced to become more adult. I have found a wonderful relationship with my mother that gets better and better because of that sign of adulthood - so there's some benefit to the heartache, I promise!
That will be me in two years!!! I'm terrified.
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