One Month and Counting

Sydney left for college a little over a month ago. This month has seen lots of tears for me but surprisingly lots of laughter and smiles too!

The day I left her there in Missouri or misery as the boys and I call it was truly one of the hardest days of my life. I am crying now just thinking back on it. Feeling her cling to me as we hugged bye was so very hard, I truly did not want to leave! I have no idea how I managed to drive all the way home.

I cried a lot the first few days, everything reminded me of her and the fact that she was not here. The first church service without her was incredibly hard despite the fact that a week had passed. We sang it is well and as soon as we got to this part: When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say, It is well, it is well, with my soul. I thought of my sorrow but I also thought of all the grace, love and compassion the Lord have given me the past week, all I could do was stand there singing and crying. Luckily we sit in the front so I do not think many people noticed. Of course about the time I got myself together the special that week was by a large group of the churches young ladies. There I went again. I kept thinking of how much I wanted Sydney to be there, I love to hear her sing!

As the month has passed things have gotten easier, I still walk by her room and half expect to see her but I do not burst into tears! I can shop at Joann's and can actual handle when someone ask when I will get to see her again. We are very blessed to have great cell phone plans so we talk almost daily and use face book and e-mail also to keep in touch. I do wish she would post more pictures but I am pretty bad about getting our camera out too. I am having fun putting together boxes for her and try to send one weekly.

Someone asked what the hardest part of her being gone is and I would have to say aside from just not having her here it is not being able to take care of her. She got sick a few weeks ago and it was horrible not being able to help her. Each time she called and I would hear her cough I wanted to load up the truck and go take care of her! Then today when she and said her car battery was dead and she had a flat tire I hated knowing that I was here and she was there. I offered some advice over the phone mainly do not panic first you need to find out what is wrong. Like most of us when our car breaks down we start seeing $$$ and worry often before we know what is wrong. She called student services they helped her with the battery and tire. She was able to get to a tire shop and only needed a plug in the tire that had gone flat but the mechanic found that one of her other tires was badly damaged and he could not believe that it had not blown on her. He did not have a tire that would fit so he checked her spare and found that it was a full size tire and put it on for her and fixed the piece of metal that had caused the damage to the other tire. There you go without me she handled it and was able to get all taken care of. What a great God! It is such a blessing to watch her mature and rely on God in a way that cannot happen when mom keeps stepping in and fixing everything, not to say that it is easy because it is not.

Well this has gotten longer and longer so I am going to just close it with what has helped me the most: "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." 1 Peter 5:7, KJV