Tell your team what you need. I finally had to tell my husband not to ask me if I’d heard from our college daughter. I promised I’d keep him in the loop. But I also explained to him that when I hadn’t heard from her, his question only reinforced that painful fact. Sometimes, our supporters need a little guidance to know what’s helpful…and what’s not. Make a look-forward-to list. In our family, we say that looking forward to something is half the fun of it, and if there’s ever a time when you need extra fun in life, it’s when you’re aching for your out-of-the-house college or military, or career, or newlywed kid. Tackle a to-do project. In the early days after we moved my last baby to college, I finally dove into the great hangout room clean-out project. I channeled my angst and started throwing and giving things away with ruthless detachment. While I was doing it, I was mercifully distracted from thinking EVERY SECOND about how much I missed my daughter. And every time I walked into the room after it was done, I felt a fresh sense of peace—an invaluable commodity during the settling-in season.
Trust that you will gradually find new ways to connect with your away-from-you big kid and feed your relationship. You have equipped your child to love and give because you have loved and given to them.
To watch them do this will fill you with fresh pride and joy. And no matter how old your kids are or where they are, there will always be ways for you to love them well.
no matter how old your kids are or where they are, there will always be ways for you to love them well.
86 SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • VOL 25 ISSUE 5
HEALTH & WELLNESS • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE 87
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