I smell banana bread! Molly is baking again. This is one of the fringe benefits of her Gap Year, for us. Another one is her role as Will’s executive function coach.
Virtual learning would not have gone so well for Will, or for me, if we hadn’t had Molly around this year helping out. She set up a Homework white board checkpoint to help him keep track of assignments and due dates. At the end of each school day, she checks in with him and makes him verbalize a “plan” for the rest of the day. If he’s stuck with Math, he goes to his dad. But otherwise, Molly is guiding him towards more independence before making her exit next year.
I’ve recently begun to realize how much I am going to miss my firstborn when she heads off to Richmond next year for college. VCU was her one and only choice, her one and only application and acceptance, and she is still happy with this choice one year-of-deferment later. She plans to study Political Science with a concentration in Civil Rights.
One corner of Molly’s bedroom already contains a small pile of “must haves” for her dorm room, as noted by friends who began their college journeys this year: a heating pad for cramps, a small bedside rug so as not to feel the cold floor with bare feet first thing in the morning, slippers and a house coat for middle of the night alarms, and so on. I notice her sneaking extra face care products into the Amazon cart, recently, as she begins to stock up.
Meanwhile, one corner of my heart is starting to sag as I consider her departure from our daily lives. But for right now I will just savor the aroma of banana bread, fresh from the oven, that draws us all into the kitchen together.
This is a really lovely slice! It captures that juxtaposition of feelings so well. While I may not have experienced this from a parents perspective just yet, the feeling of wanting to hold excitement and sadness at the same time is familiar to me. Thanks for sharing, and enjoy that banana bread!
ReplyDeleteIt's so hard when your children leave the nest, but also so wonderful. When my three girls were in college I had an opportunity to share the experience with them. Magical years you can't get back. I love your circular piece... and I can smell the delicious banana bread!
ReplyDeleteI love this perspective. It's reminding me to appreciate my stepsons while they are still living at home rather than worrying about them making it as adults.
ReplyDeleteThis piece has so many wonderful concrete details to capture Molly! I admire your resolve to stay in the now, as hard as it can be.
ReplyDeleteI was just thinking about last year at this time and how my college aged students came home unexpectedly and set up school at home. I felt terrible for them, but I am so glad we all weathered the storm together for awhile. There has been a lot of baking going on around here, too.
ReplyDeleteLove that ending!
ReplyDeleteBeautifully written. Your kiddo sounds like a wonderful person and I am sure she will go far! We need more people in the world like her.
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