We took our son to Western Carolina University for freshman orientation this week. The orientation team was great and everyone bent over backwards to show us how he would fit in and be successful.
There were about 150 parents in our group with about half of us going through this for the first time. It has been 35 years since I went off to college and things have really changed since then. My orientation consisted of showing up one day early and being told to "fit in, have fun and study hard." I guess I was too self-centered then to realize what my parents were going through. That thoughtlessness is coming back to haunt me now.
If he is to continue growing, he must go and find his own way. That is the nature of life. And, we, my wife and I, must move on to a new phase without him being with us all the time. It's going to be tough. Just thinking about leaving him at school in six weeks brings a flood of emotions. I am immensely proud of him - Eagle Scout, Honor Graduate, part-time job. But, I will miss him terribly.
He has a great journey ahead of him and we have prepared him as best we can, so he should be fine. The greater challenge will be ours.
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