Off to College

It's raining outside. It matches my mood.

I did really well today helping Rebekah, my fourth child (and fourth daughter), move into her dorm at a school a little over a hundred miles away. We exchanged pleasant words, meaningful hugs, prayers, and some last minute words of wisdom. I wasn't really sad.

Until I left.

Cindy and Lydia and Memaw stayed a couple of hours longer than Fred O and I did, and not long after we pulled out, Lydia sent me a text: "Beks cried when you left. Just to let you know."

It began to hit me right about that point.

I called Bekah a little later and had a brief conversation.

The worst thing, though, was walking into her room at the house. Now, it really wasn't the room itself, because we just moved into another house three months ago. Another thing that made it different: it was clean!

No, it was the symbolism of the room being empty!

It was then that tears began to well up in my eyes. They continue to well up, even as I type. I am glad Rebekah gets to go off to college, and I know that it will be a terrific adventure in life for her--a bend in the road--and I am happy for her. However, tonight I am sad for me. I miss you already, Rebekah. I love you so much.

Both Rebekah and Lydia performed Thursday night at our church fellowship hall. Lydia, who just graduated from Georgia State with a degree in creative writing, read a story she had written for a class. While fiction, it included a lot of true things from our family. It was wonderful.

Rebekah repeated her senior project in drama and music from Artios Academies. It too was wonderful. At the end, I presented to her a diploma from our home school, and I gave her a little booklet I made for her, "Dad's Instruction Book for College." She was excited to receive it. In it, I gave her about 20 statements of "wisdom," some serious, some hoping to be humorous. I ended with a sum up statement: "Obey God. (Out of your love for Him.)"

I think she will. I am proud of her and all of my children.

But tonight, I am especially missing Rebekah.