All the feelings

Well.

I did it.

I left my baby girl at her university dorm far far away across the ocean...

And I kept the tears dammed behind the sunglasses until we drove away.

Score one for Mom.

I'm not going to lie - it was very hard.

So many hours have gone in to getting her stuff, visiting UVic in the summer, figuring out what she needed, cashing out the RESP, finding textbooks, bedding, lamps... all the things.  Lindsay did lots of this with only the help of my credit card and she sorted out her room and packed her clothes.

So when we finally drove on to campus this morning it was the culmination of many many months on planning.

As Lindsay kept saying "This is not UVic's first move in day Mom" and they certainly had the system streamlined.  After the keys were picked up we made a few trips from the loaded truck and soon, amazingly soon, she was sorted enough for all the boxes to be recycled out of there. I am sure she will spend a few hours puttering and moving things around but we left her in a cozy functional room. She met some of her neighbours, bumped in to friends from Richmond and Whistler and got her schedule for the next two days of orientation activities and we left her to settle in to campus life.

Left her.

GAH.

But as is SO often the case, these big moments serve to remind us that we have a village, we have people...people who care and who love us.

I am overwhelmed by the love of those peeps for me/us and for Lindsay.  The gifts left at the door, the cards, the $20 for espresso, the wine for me and the texts from my dearest friends that kept coming and although they made me cry harder they let me know I am loved, my girl is loved.

They reminded me that the whole point of giving them roots AND wings is to let them fly.

So we have let our sweet, smart, funny girl stretch her wings a wee bit and that is stretching my heart a wee bit  a lot and that is sometimes the painful/joyful way we learn and grow.

So excuse the temporary shortage in the local kleenex supply, I am sure it will return to normal levels next week.

Thank you dear ones for standing with me...I'm not sure where I'd be without y'all.

Lindsay Lou.... fly my sweetie, fly.

And call me once in a while.

Deal.

xoxoxox