Happy Families and Kids Going to College

All happy families resemble one another, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.

Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

That quote has more wisdom than one might think.

As part of a happy family, I instantly recognized this sentiment from Another Espresso Please when telling of dropping off their son for his second year at college.

Why is it that a nineteen year old is supposed to WANT to cut all contact with his family, to strike out in a solo free fall in independence? Why do people say aw, but nudge with a wink when they hear of a kid who has just well, left, for good. Why is it considered "weird" not to, or as parents are you considered "helicopter parents" if you cry when you say goodbye?

Are we freaks?

Maybe, I guess. I like to say we are nurturing parents who love our kids and see them for the amazing people they have grown up to be and, shhhh, LIKE them! And that the kid(s) are nice young people who are generous and kind enough to endure their parent's desire to be with them and actually enjoy it a little bit as well.

So the question comes again: Why is it that to be and stay connected to family is considered somehow suspect or freaky?

We actually enjoy spending car rides with each other, though I must say that we probably would prefer it if Chicago could manage to be a bit closer than 16 hours driving distance (and just think how lucky they would be to be that much closer to Texas!). We leave tomorrow to take Rose to college there.

Go read that article and just consider that we echo it with, of course, our own family's quirks in place of theirs. Lucky happy families that we are. God has blessed us.