The text message from my 21-year-old daughter Carly arrived on my iphone at midnight. It simply said, "Leaving Amman, Jordan now. Love you guys! I'll check in in a few days. :)"
A flood of emotions and thoughts came over me.
My first thought was, "Carly, you are not in Kansas anymore!" She and a group of students from her university are spending the next four months in the Middle East. Today they left Amman and headed north. Yes, toward Syria.
Carly takes after her mom in a lot of ways - approachable, hospitable, empathetic. She takes after me in one primary way - she is an explorer, a nomad of sorts.
And so part of me is envious of my daughter traipzing around the Middle East for months on end. And part of me is a tad nervous about the unknowns of that part of the world. But mostly I am incredibly proud of who Carly is becoming as a young adult and I am hopeful that she and her generation will make a great impact on the world.
Last month the four of us were camping in California together. I snapped this photo of Carly and Steven as we sat around a campfire on the beach one night.
I remember thinking of myself, "Enjoy the moment. It is fleeting." And so it is. Carly is in the Middle East, Steven is back at university beginning his second term.
It is all very, very good.
Life is full.
And it's a bit quiet around the house.
A flood of emotions and thoughts came over me.
My first thought was, "Carly, you are not in Kansas anymore!" She and a group of students from her university are spending the next four months in the Middle East. Today they left Amman and headed north. Yes, toward Syria.
Carly takes after her mom in a lot of ways - approachable, hospitable, empathetic. She takes after me in one primary way - she is an explorer, a nomad of sorts.
And so part of me is envious of my daughter traipzing around the Middle East for months on end. And part of me is a tad nervous about the unknowns of that part of the world. But mostly I am incredibly proud of who Carly is becoming as a young adult and I am hopeful that she and her generation will make a great impact on the world.
Last month the four of us were camping in California together. I snapped this photo of Carly and Steven as we sat around a campfire on the beach one night.
I remember thinking of myself, "Enjoy the moment. It is fleeting." And so it is. Carly is in the Middle East, Steven is back at university beginning his second term.
It is all very, very good.
Life is full.
And it's a bit quiet around the house.
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