Wednesday, October 7, 2009

It Was Great and Bittersweet at the Same Time

A couple of weeks ago Lyndsey put in a request to be gone from the college campus for this last weekend. It was accepted and we kept it hush hush and told no one she was coming home. She likes the element of surprise.

The boys and I drove up to Lancaster to pick her up. We had lunch with her and loaded her up and took her to the mall to hopefully land an interview. She is in need of a job and has been filling out applications everywhere but nothing has turned up just yet. If you think about it, would you pray for her about this? I will say, however, the Lord has provided miraculously for her college bill. The money has been coming in and He continues to amaze me with His marvelous ways! You know who you are that have/are helped/helping and from the bottom of our hearts (including Lyndsey's) THANK YOU!!!!!!! To those who have and continue to pray for Lyndsey, another big THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts!

My plans didn't work out like I thought they would. It seems they don't most of the time these days. Hmmmm, maybe I should try something different???? Anyway...I wanted to be home around 3:00 or so Friday afternoon, but we didn't get home until 7:30 p.m. Then we were supposed to have a family night but it went 'bust' because of the time and because her computer has been acting crazy since before she left for college. We did get the computer fixed but ONLY after spending almost the entire weekend working on it.

Saturday came and went. She was with us the entire time, but we were all so busy getting things done that HAD to be done that we didn't exactly spend the quality time as a family that I would have liked. But at least we were together, right? Lyndsey spent a good chunk of the day doing schoolwork. I am thankful that she is motivated to get it done and even get it done early.

The plan for her to come home couldn't have been more timely. Lyndsey needed to come home for a few days. She had somewhat of a rough day last week and she just needed familiar surroundings and family to help get her focus back.

I have a hard time admitting it, but it was kinda weird having her home. I know it's only been 5 weeks since she left but we've gotten used to her being gone. (Has anyone else experienced it so quickly? People told me that I would have a major 'meltdown' after she left, but that didn't happen. I guess I had accepted that this day was coming so long ago that it didn't really phase me. Weird, huh.) She even commented that her room didn't feel like her room anymore. It felt more like a guest room. Sigh!

We got her back to the campus 30 minutes before the evening church service was to start. Again, another one of our plans that went 'bust'. This one was not our fault. It was because there was a forest fire and the main road we take was shut down.

One of the surefire ways to know that Lyndsey is happy and feels at home at college is when she got her suitcase back in her dorm room, she announced to her roommates that she was 'home'. Ya think she's happy? I'd say so!

This whole 'send your child to college' thing has been different. I thought our relationship with Lyndsey would stay the same. Silly me, right? I guess I thought she wouldn't grow up so fast and not need us as much quite so fast. We still talk about 4 times a day and for that I am happy. But I guess I was blind to the fact that I wouldn't be 'raising' her anymore. It's time for her to 'spread her wings and fly' on her own now. In the back of my mind I've known this, but to actually experience it was odd. This is now the time when our relationship becomes 'adult to adult'. Wow! I don't feel old enough to have an adult child (oxy moron, right?)!

We left shortly after the evening service was over. It didn't hurt to leave her this time. I guess it's 'welcome to the new normal' for our family now. I've heard people say that your relationship with your kids gets better as they get older. I'm sure it will, but it's getting used to a new normal that is so strange.

She is doing so well at college. Her grades are excellent and we couldn't be happier. She is growing in her walk with the Lord and she's making friends at the drop of a hat and having a great time.

So...it was great and bittersweet all at the same time.

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