While you wake up in your freshly decorated dorm room & head to your first day of college all excited and nervous and more dressed up than you’ll ever be again in the next 4 years….I’ll be remembering all the fist day of school pictures and wishing I had one of you today. You are 19. But you will NEVER not be my baby going to her first day of school.

When you are in line to get that amazingly delicious cafeteria food at the dining hall I will be remembering making 2,124 lunches in a Tinkerbell lunchbox with little notes scribbled on napkins to remind you I love you.

While you pile up the laundry from your floor and head to the laundry room in the dorm shoving everything from jeans to bras in the same wash load- I’ll be remembering going up to your room and finding all of the dirty clothes you forgot to bring down so I could have your cheer uniform ready for the next game.

While you’re up at 3am cramming for a biology test and wishing you’d taken better notes I’ll remember the endless science projects, hot glue, fake volcanoes and last minute runs to Hobby Lobby to get supplies for a project that’s DUE TOMORROW!

While you’re at that party you probably shouldn’t be at flirting with that frat boy that I could crush with my foot, I’ll be remembering the first time I let you drive and how much I worried and didn’t sleep hoping you’d be ok.

When you don’t feel well and have to go to the clinic with a fever or sore throat and then get your own medication and take care of yourself I’ll be remembering all the nights of teething, colds, coughing, tummy aches and ouchies that I slept on the floor next to your bed just in case you woke up sick so I’d have the trash can ready.

This transition is YOURS. You will be fine. You’ll be more than fine- you’re made for this and its time to fly. But please try to remember this is a transition for me too. I have “Mommed” you for 19 years. In my home. In the next room. Its been my job and my pleasure. And my role in your life is completely changing. Call me once in awhile. Text me. Send me pics of your face because I need to see it. I stared at that little face for endless hours in your first year- amazed that I made something so beautiful. So although this is YOUR time. The beginning of something amazing and beautiful and freeing and exciting. Just try to remember it’s an ending for me. And endings can be hard.