Transistions

As I previously mentioned, we went up to UNI (Cedar Falls) for Megan's freshman orientation this past Thursday & Friday. Because there are so many things / events / emotions I could write about, I'm actually having a tough time writing this post. My mind keeps resetting priorities of possible topics. Do I write about meeting Chuck & Deeanna from Davenport first or about the seminar about the TEACH grant first? Do I write about seeing Megan's actual dorm room first or about the difficulty / drama with getting her classes? Do I write about the discussion with the dad and (presumably) grandma from Washington, IA, that I had as I waited in line to discuss financial aid or about Connor (a freshman, supposedly with a 15 year-old girlfriend) flirting uncontrollably with the senior at our dinner table?

While I'm unsure as to where this blog post will take me, I'll start with a simple fact. My oldest child, Megan, will be a freshman at UNI in the fall of 2015. I won't say what dorm she will live in, but I saw her dorm room, empty except for the lofts, desks, and chairs that come with it. Compared to what I lived in at Mount Mercy College, her dorm room is really tiny. That's okay, though, because my mind seems to think that means the move-in process will not be extensively intense. She moves in 3 days after her 19th birthday, on a Monday in August - 50 days away.

The number of days from her move-in day is not meant to indicate I am eagerly awaiting her departure from our house. It simply means that there are 50 days remaining of her being my little girl. David, a psychologist at the UNI counseling center, said that the son / daughter you drop off in the fall and pick up four years later is not going to be the same person. That made me pause a little to reflect upon my own college career. I wasn't the same person I was when I moved into the Regina dorm room on the Mount Mercy College campus in September 1988. Sure, I kept some character traits, like loving Metallica and loving to write. Other traits changed. For example, when I began college, I was very confident that I would never, ever, drink booze, but by early November, I partied with 2 liters of Strawberry Blush, a wine cooler made by Sun Country. Another example is that I was very confident that I would have a long career as a high school English teacher, but at some point during my student teaching, I had decided I did not want to spend 40 years as a teacher.

The thoughts I continually return to are that I have no idea what character traits Megan will retain, adjust, or adapt once she begins college. No one knows, including her! The unknowns in life will present themselves to her over the days and weeks and months and years. While some parents may fear the transition of their child from a caterpillar to a butterfly, I find it exhilarating and exciting. Will every aspect of Megan's college career be perfect? Absolutely not. I know there will be bumps and potholes. I also know that each bump will eventually be smoothed out and each pothole will eventually be filled with some substance that will make her a better person.