Well, her birthday passed and to be honest it was a little sad.
No decorations at home, no favorite dinner for her, no being together to make wishes and watch her open her presents as her friends gathered at the house. The good news is she has wonderful new friends. They made a treasure hunt for her through out the day, stopped by her dorm room with hugs and wishes, and went down town for a birthday dinner … sounds fun to me …
She called from the restaurant and dear heart that she is, she had all the kids yell, “Hi mom!” to me over the phone. Once again her independence and thoughtfulness shined through and I reminded myself that the day is about her, not me. Her wings were flapping and new friends were in the nest. Just as it should be. My husband and I had a simple dinner by the fire and he listened to me chat about the old birthday parties. By the way, she loved the birthday care-package of candles, jewelry, and a mushy mother daughter card.
So turning nineteen away from home was a good thing. Just very different and another marker on the path.
By Natalie Caine
