My husband and I are just a few short days away from bidding our daughter farewell for a few months as she leaves for her summer employment. Hers is the quintessential summer job – working in the sunshine along a coastline, meeting people from every corner of the earth, riding roller coasters just about every day for free and making lifelong friendships. Earning money for college is a pretty nice perk, too. We couldn’t be happier or more excited for her. Yet, it is still tinged with a bit of sadness.
It tugs at our heart every summer when she leaves. It’s one more summer when she misses the Summer Festival Parade and Grand Prix Races. She won’t be at the family reunion or all of the summer birthday parties. No band concerts or rides on the South Shore. She’ll miss our family’s mini fireworks extravaganza and bonfires once again.
It’s been said that God gives parents teenagers to make it easier to say goodbye. Somehow, I expected that when it would be time for the goodbyes to come, that it would feel like time. We would be ready. But, it doesn’t feel like time, and we’re not ready. What we would give to wind back the clock!