But the proud
moments you have as a parent help you forget all the times you
threatened to beat their asses. Jumping forward to 2003, this was a year
full of some of the happiest moments of our lives and the saddest.
Watching Mollie get ready to start a new chapter in her life was traumatizing
for me. On one hand it was good to see her so excited about her future, but on the other hand I was terrified that I was losing her. So of
course, the happiest moment that year was Mollie's high school graduation.
We were all so proud of her,and of course, we all cried. Mollie planned
to attend AIB in Des Moines so that summer we kept busy by getting her ready
for college, and for me it was trying to prepare myself for life without seeing
my baby girl every day.
The day we moved Mollie to college was one of the
hardest things we had to do. We all went, Mollie and Josh driving her car full
of her stuff and Dennis and I in our truck hauling the rest of her things. As
we helped her unpack and went shopping to stock her up on groceries, I wanted
the day to last forever. I didn't want to leave her. We stood outside her
building, our close little family, huddled together holding each other and
crying, not wanting to let go. It was a long quiet drive home that
evening.
Mollie had been in college for a couple of weeks when one day
she called home say that she wanted to come home, she didn't like being so far
away, she wanted to drop out of school and move back home. My first
thought was how happy I would be to have my girl back home, our family together
again. Then I realized I could not let her do that, she needed to stay in
Des Moines, to stay in school down there. So even though my heart
was breaking I gave her the speech, that this was her chance to start a new
chapter in her life, learning from new experiences and grow as a
person. Mollie didn't take long to adjust to life in Des Moines and it
didn't take long for me to realize that she would never move back home, she
belongs there. Mollie had become a wonderful, confident, and independent
woman. I don't think I had anything to do with it.....it's just who she was
meant to be.
I remember that morning, pulling away from my house to move to Des Moines. I remember it as one of the hardest days of my life. I was excited to start college and meet new people, but leaving home was a hard day for me. And Mom is wrong..she did have a lot to do with who I am!
I remember that morning, pulling away from my house to move to Des Moines. I remember it as one of the hardest days of my life. I was excited to start college and meet new people, but leaving home was a hard day for me. And Mom is wrong..she did have a lot to do with who I am!