So, in about 11 days, my wife and I will make the 4 hour drive to Dallas. This is not new, but what is new is that we will be following another vehicle. A vehicle that once belonged to my wife and then was eventually passed down to our daughter on her 16th birthday. Our destination is DBU and when we turn around to come home, we will be leaving that girl and that car for the first time. Over the years, I’ve listened to parents (moms particularly) grieve over their children leaving home. Social media often paints the picture of a boyfriend going away, only to discover that mom is just really upset that her boy is going to college. I don’t think dad’s are immune to this sort of sadness, but my friends don’t seem to post about it.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m emotional about it. How can I not be? It seems like yesterday, we were bringing her home from the hospital. Then later that day she was starting school. Still later, she was driving and so on and so forth. Emotions are part of the game, but sadness? Nope. Not here and not in our house. We won’t be depressed, though we will reflect. We are so proud of our daughter and excited about this new chapter in her life. We look forward to meeting her new friends and seeing her thrive in a new place. We’ve worked hard for 18 years and now it’s time to watch her go. This is how we believe it’s supposed to be – catch and release. We’ve been good stewards, but now we change the method. She’s becoming an independent woman and we have to become independent parents now – gulp. One step at a time…for all of us.