I feel like an old pro at this as Fall Classes approach (I almost used the old term "Fall Quarter").
A third summer of bored normalcy, of (almost) taking his presence for granted. Of not planning anything special. Just cohabitating. Like we did for 17 years and two additional summers.
That feeling of everything-in-its-right-place that I didn't think I'd ever feel again when he first said "See ya at Parents Weekend". Five weeks of living in the moment, without thoughts of The Away.
But The Away has intruded into my thoughts. It's August. And the Incoming Parents have my remembering my Incoming Parent intensities. My thoughts are with them and my mind is going back to its Here/SLO split state.
The Away is still real, but the unknowns have been familiar for some time now. There is a new wrinkle this year: he should graduation in June (God willing, of course). There will be a batch of new feels - not sure how intense. It might hinge on him landing a job far away...
That's all abstract. RIght now the only plans different from Junior Year is to get up to SLO a few times this school year. Get the Tri-Tip Challenge completed. Last year we were so adjusted to (and coping so well with) The Away, that we never made it up there.
But since The Golden Ring is in sight and we won't have the easy "excuse" to visit SLO, we'll be intentional about going. That in itself is an important mindset: don't assume the good times are forever, take advantage as if they aren't.
They say it all flies by. I don't think it does. His first 17 years seemed like 30. An amazing, meaningful thirty; but it didn't seem to fly by.
Freshman Year started SLO (!), excruciatingly. Those first weeks are not easy. But it picked up.
Sophomore Year was still kind of slow, but he had a kitchen and text pictures of the meals he cooked. So a lot more texts and he called a lot more.
Junior Year did go by pretty fast - the fastest of the twenty, by far.
So, Senior Year is coming up. How stoic will I be? I don't know. But we do plan to get up to SLO in October - that will soothe the ache.
I'm curious to see how this last Fall compares to the first Fall. It's still a roller coaster, but knowing the track diminishes the thrill/terror quite a bit. I'll let you know (because I'm an oversharer if you haven't noticed).
But, yep, we are all in it together. Again for some of us.
Enjoy the pre-partem moments. They are precious - they all are.
Know that some of you will find the next month or two heart-rending. But you WILL make it through. You've been prepping for this moment for 17 years or so. It was the goal. It is right. And your Mustang is about to experience the most amazing year of their lives.
You got this. We got you.