stories
letting go
I remember this day like it was yesterday. It's hard to believe that as I write this, it was over five and a half years ago.
It was the day I let go.
As always, we start with background. It had been about a week since my sister had moved into her dorm room. The day that she started band camp, she walked into the hall where the band people were staying that week to sign up for her room. She came back out to the car with another freshman girl band member. "I made a friend!" she exclaimed.
Sometimes I'm really jealous of my sister.
But that week had come and gone. We had moved my sister into her room. And we had just finished moving me into room #539 at Paty Hall. My sister's new friend had been around, talking with all of us.
But we had finished. And now it was time.
My parents were about to leave. And I got caught up in the finality of it all.
I'd never been away from home without my parents around for more than a week or so. I'd never been this far away from home. And I was scared.
I told my mom that I needed to get some Tylenol because my head hurt and I didn't have any. My mom picked up on the signal. I love my mom.
As we drove to the store, I started bawling in the car. It was probably a good thing that my mom was driving. I told her of my fears. About the only thing that I don't remember about this day was what she told me. But sometimes pep talks aren't about the words that are said. I just remember that what she said made me feel that I could let go. Let go of the past. Let go of whatever fear that I was feeling.
Let go of a big part of my youth.
We came back to Paty with the already-used Tylenol. We walked back into my room.
My sister and I walked my parents out to their car. Goodbyes were said. We watched them drive away.
Then we turned and walked toward her dorm room.