New Beginnings
As we toured the campus, it felt like the quintessential college experience. The campus was filled with old, beautiful, brick buildings surrounded by trees covered in Fall foliage. Around the buildings, students in college gear walked the leaf-strewn pathways on their way to the big football game.
I watched The Teen look around in awe, and it brought back memories of my own time at Mizzou where I walked around the beautiful, Autumn campus in much the same manner. He talked to me more that day than he had in a long time, excited and happy, as he thought about all the things he could do and experience. I was excited and happy for him.
Watching him grow up, I've seen his movement through life. From a baby, to a toddler, to a tween, to a teen, I've seen a great deal of growth. More than that, watching him grow up has been a reflection of where I am in my own stage of life. Where I was once a mom of small children, I'm now the mom of a full-grown adult. It's this understanding of just where I am in the timeline of my life that gives me pause.
Next Fall, he'll go off to start a new life and so will I. While he's navigating the world on his own, learning, struggling, and thriving in his new role as an adult, I'll be navigating life as an older woman moving closer to being an empty nester. He's ready, and I am too - for the most part. It's a new beginning...for both of us.
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