Erin is in Montréal right now. She flew out of Edmonton the other day, after 10 days away from home, and arrived without incident with her exchange group. She was picked up by a family who are billeting her in Quebec. She called home to say she'd arrived safely -- tired but happy and fine.
It's supposed to be hard, this letting-go thing. It feels big I guess, but it hasn't really been difficult. Why? Because I think I am as excited as she is about her new, growing independence and her ability to cope with things I'd never have dreamt would come this quickly to her. I am so proud of what she's doing, of who she is becoming. And that parental pride is making it all feel fine.
I'm sure it's a bit of a stretch for her, being off on her own, having to cope with her own needs and the inevitable organizational glitches, having to approach people she's barely met and ask questions or make requests. But I know she will cope, I am confident that even if there are moments of stress and hurdles to overcome, she will do fine... and that makes me proud.
Can't wait to have her back, though!
Monday, July 21, 2008
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Sounds like she is doing wonderful on her trip. My oldest went to NYC with a small group a few years back. The hardest part for me, wasn't really worrying about him, but feeling a little sad that I didn't get to share the experience with him, seeing his reactions to all the new sites and adventures. But I was mostly excited for him being off on such an amazing adventure. Watching our children really begin to have lives and experiences seperate from our own is definitely a milestone that is a little bittersweet, but mostly sweet:-)
ReplyDeleteY'know, I haven't found it hard to let my kids venture out when they're ready, either. I'm confident that they can handle themselves in the situations they've chosen, and happy that their attachment needs were filled when they were younger.
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