Parents, kids, college and growing up

Well.  That was about as tough a thing as I'll ever do. 

Yesterday we dropped our son, Nolan, off at college.  I have been dreading it for awhile.  I'll admit it--I get all emotional and sentimental at stuff like this.  Just ask my wife, Shannon, what it's like to watch a movie like My Sister's Keeper with me--it's embarrassing really. 

So it was a long ride home for me.  I imagine is was tough for Shannon and our daughter Rayna, too, listening to me whimper, sniffle and sob as I drive 70 miles an hour down the freeway through tear filled eyes. Then I got home-- sheesh open the flood gates. He's everywhere--the unfinished go cart, pile of shoes near the door--and no where.   My brain is telling me to get a grip, but my heart just wants to cling to other things.

He is, after all, not dead just starting college.  Clearly my brain and my heart need to find some balance; some common ground.  If for no other reason than I don't run out of business meetings crying like a baby because I got a text from him.

So this blog is born.  One Down, One to Go.  It may sound like the joyous anthem of an empty-nester.  Nope. I intend to allow this to become a sometime humorous, sometimes wondrous, sometimes sad battleground for my head and heart to work things out. I don't know how long that will take:  30 days, six months or five years. I've learned that personal struggles are day-at-a-time affairs. So one day down, one to go.

One Down, One to Go will also be about Nolan and Rayna.  Moving from one life stage to another is tough, but I can't wait to see how they do it. Nolan finishing High School and entering college.  Rayna finishing 8th grade and entering High School.  And in five years, we will repeat something like this with her... oh jeez--maybe I'm not quite ready to go there yet. 

One Down, One to Go is also for me and Shannon. And anyone who reads this who has ever faced becoming an empty-nester---or who fears the day.  There is some real sadness in the separation that has to occur sometime in life, but isn't there happiness too?  Jeez I hope so.  I want to chronicle some of that in this journey for me and hopefully use that to find the common ground that my head and heart seek. 

Might also be good to help assuage Nolan's and Rayna's fear that maybe dad has really gone off the deep-end this time.