There is something surreal about driving your only child to the Philadelphia International Airport, squeezing the stuffing out of her, and then driving away...while she goes off to board her one-way flight to Paris to begin her new life.
The twenty two years I devoted to raising her passed before my eyes in a split second, as I helped her unload her 50 lb. bag - carefully weighed to avoid extra fees - and her supplemental 20 lb. bag and her backpack and the bag she's named 'Marc.'
Even more surreal, though, was the comment from an acquaintance about my daughter's decision to teach overseas: "Why on earth would she want to do that?"
Why should anyone chase their dreams? Young people should just live in their parents' basements, that way mom will never have to endure the agony of missing them.
I gladly carry that burden. But mine pales in comparison to that of another mom I know. On the same day my girl left for France, her son was chosen for the US Army's elite Special Forces. While my child is in a cozy classroom, hers will be navigating dangerous territory.
Ships are safest in harbor. But that's not what ships are made for.
No comments:
Post a Comment