A New Normal, Part 1

It's been a week since I dropped off my daughter at college two states away.  She's the middle child and my only girl.  The two boys attend the local university... one lives at home, the other does not.  And the house is feeling rather empty.

     I'm glad she has taken this step.  She got her A.A. at a local community college.  It was a good fit for her and she would have stayed there forever.  But it was time to taste a little independence.... time to leave the nest.  For most young adults, this is an exciting time.  She was terrified.

     My daughter was diagnosed with high-functioning autism at age three.  She is a bright, talented and intelligent girl and with the right techniques, she learned language and skills that allowed her to mainstream in kindergarten.  She did well in school in spite of extreme shyness and difficulty in connecting with her peers.  From kindergarten through communtiy college, she has taken things at her own pace and we have been proud of her success.

     As we have prepared her to leave home, I have mostly concentrated on what she would need to know to live independently.  I didn't really think about how it would affect me.  This week has been hard.  She is struggling with the newness of EVERYTHING.  And I knew she would.  And I have to let her.  I would never have left her there if I wasn't convinced that she could meet this challenge.  I know she is capable, even if she has doubts she can do this.

      Tonight we chatted via Skype.  Skype is a wonderful thing!  She smiled a lot and it seemed like she was home.  I know that all this technology will be a real blessing to her (and me!) as we adjust to a new normal.