Our Kids Grow Up

My eighteen year old daughter Claire is going away in May. She and nine other young people from her college are going to Guatemala to volunteer in an orphanage of 250 children from the area who are either orphaned or from poverty stricken homes. I’m proud of her, of course. I admire her sense of adventure and desire to make a difference in the world. She told me recently that she wants to pay for the entire trip herself. I admire her for that as well. She takes responsibility to make things happen in her life. She’s always been that way. She’ll be away for seven weeks.

It’s only November but I’m already feeling anxious about her going. We’re very close and I know it’s going to seem odd not having her around for seven weeks. I’ll miss her terribly. I’ve had her reassure me that she will have internet access while she’s there so we can keep in touch. I’m thinking that my Baby Sign classes run for eight weeks and the time seems to fly so maybe this will too. I know I’m being silly about this but I also know I can’t deny how I’m feeling. The reality is - our kids grow up and become adults.