Well, she has been saying it for a long time, and now the much anticipated day has finally arrived! Carrie is leaving out this afternoon, to begin her new life in Australia. I am excited for Carrie starting out on this adventure, seeing new places, meeting new people. I am sure she will have the time of her life in her new home away from home.
As for all the people who have said to me, "How are you holding up?" or "Has it hit you yet?" or "How can you let her move so far away?" Today is not about me, but thanks for asking, and I am doing just fine. It makes me proud that my daughter has the confidence and courage to move across the world, to leave the familiar and safe, to follow her heart, to remove that dreaded someday thought of "what if?".
This is a great opportunity to see more of this great big world and she would be crazy not to go for it! She will be back to visit, and she knows that she can always come back to stay at any time.
As a mother, I have many roles to choose from, I could be a clinging vine and try to keep her close by, or I can be a cheerleader and support her decisions. I choose cheerleader (it must be all those years of cheering in school). So, Just Do It! Carrie, have fun, take lots of pictures, and most importantly keep in touch!
On the other hand, I may be in denial, and it will hit me later, better check back next week... Of course I will worry about her and miss her, but as parents we have done our time, (I mean job!) and hopefully have done a few things right, so now it's time to sit back and watch.
at eight to ride
a bicycle, loping along
beside you
as you wobbled away
on two round wheels,
my own mouth rounding
in surprise when you pulled
ahead down the curved
path of the park,
I kept waiting
for the thud
of your crash as I
sprinted to catch up,
while you grew
smaller, more breakable
with distance,
pumping, pumping
for your life, screaming
with laughter,
the hair flapping
behind you like a
handkerchief waving
goodbye.
I don't remember teaching you to ride a bike, but maybe you learned a few things from me along the way. It is a nice poem anyway, metaphorically speaking. Now when I think of you I can picture you screaming with laughter, the hair flapping behind you as you race toward your new life! Keep smiling!
~poem: To a Daughter Leaving Home by Linda Pastan
