Ripping Off the Band-Aid

Now don’t get me wrong: I hated to see Matthew leave for college. I have been preparing for this for almost as many years as I have been helping him prepare to go to college! Yet, this last month, although it zoomed by, also dragged by – for us and for him, too, I think.

I dreaded it with every part of my being, yet I knew it was inevitable. It was going to hurt like crazy, and although I knew the pain would be very real, I just wanted to get it over with. Ken (my hubby) said, “Yeah, it’s like ripping off a band-aid.” (And there you have it: a peek into our 25 year marriage. It takes me two paragraphs to explain a thought that Ken communicated in seven words!)

We tried to squeeze every moment of goodness out of those last weeks, days, minutes…. And then, in warp speed, the time to say goodbye came way too soon. Yes, it was hard, very hard, and we cried. But then we saw compassion on Matthew's face for our hurt and it made him seem so mature. And we also saw resolve there and the confidence he exuded. We took comfort in all those things, knowing that he truly is ready, just as we have known for a very long time.

And at that moment, we knew that we were, too. That doesn’t mean there won’t be difficult days and moments, but we do take comfort in that we are all ready for this next phase of our lives and we embrace it, anxious to see what God has in store for all of us.