1800 Miles...Just a Text Away

When our son decided to accept a football scholarship offer in Nebraska, I just looked at the map and thought about how far away it was.  He had a few other closer options, but was really set on Midland University in Fremont, Nebraska.  Wow!  That is a long way from Fall River Mills, California.  A three hour drive to the airport to get on the plane for the 4 hour flight to Omaha.  It's been almost two years now, and it really isn't so bad.  In fact, it is really good....

We have been to visit him many times and I see why he likes it so much.  When we took the initial visit in the middle of a Nebraska winter, I knew this was a great place for our son.  If he was going to be that far away, I wanted to be confident that there were people there to take care of him.  I was confident then and even more now.  Midwestern people are some of the nicest, most sincere people I have ever met.  The town that he lives in is just plain FRIENDLY.  Never before have I experienced that kind of hospitality.  I would move there. (And yes, I have been there in the summer and winter..two very extreme "extremes"!)

We have become friends with many of the other football parents from that area.  When we visit, it feels like home. Our son has several moms that look out for him...even the coach's wife.  In fact, she was a great recruiting person.  The head coach and his wife took us out to dinner when we were there for the first visit and it was like sitting down with old friends.  I knew then that there would be someone out there to take care of our son.  When he made his final decision about moving 1800 miles away, we all felt comfortable with it.

Times are different, when I went to college I was only a couple of hours away.  My parents were lucky if they could catch me on my old fashioned wall phone.  They couldn't leave a message because I had no answering machine.  They couldn't call or text me on my cell phone...there was no such thing.  They couldn't even send me an email...I had a typewriter, not a computer!

In today's world, the distance gap is bridged by technology.  In the two years our son has been at college, we have texted everyday.  We talk on Facebook, send emails and talk on Skype.  I miss him a lot, but it really doesn't feel like he is 1800 miles away.   His birthday was this month.  I texted one of the other moms who has become a great friend.  She made him his favorite cookies and I emailed a birthday note for her to print.  She took the cookies to his spring football scrimmage.  That little touch of home meant a lot to him, but I think it meant even more to me, knowing that there is someone out there to step in for the mom things.  I know without a doubt that there are people that would help him through anything out there.

Letting go and letting our son step out into the world seemed like it was going to be a hard thing...but really those 1800 miles are just a text away!

What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness? - Jean Jaques Rousseau