AuburnChick's Adventures

Ten months ago, I traveled across the state to take Chicky to college.

My heart shattered into a thousand pieces as I bade goodbye to my little girl.  You might remember when I wrote about that day.

The first few weeks were very difficult as I adjusted to the void that her absence left.

She, however, was having the time of her life.

Immediately upon her arrival at Southeastern, she was surrounded by older soccer teammates who quickly took her under their wings.

I was able to attend a few of her soccer games, and with every visit, I sensed her growing in confidence and maturity.

Thanks to Facebook, I watched, through photographs, as she demonstrated this new found confidence through her posture and the clothes she wore.

A mama doesn’t miss much, you see.

Her trip home for Christmas break was not without its troubles.  We had to set up some ground rules.  She was used to coming and going as she pleased.  I was used to having teenagers home by 11.

When she came home for Spring Break, things had gotten better.  I sensed a mutual respect growing between us.  I noticed more changes in her.  For instance, she was sporting a new hair color.

Apparently, girls in college like to experiment with hair dye.

Yes, my tomboy daughter had been delving into very girlie indulgences.

During Spring Break, Chicky shared her plans for the future.

She started the registration process for the local community college.  She’s going to take three classes this summer.  The education program at Southeastern is intense, and she’s going to need to earn a lot of credits to finish, so she wants to take a few classes at home during the summers.

I admire her for looking ahead.  A lot of kids her age just don’t have a clue and prefer to live life by the seat of their pants.

Not my Chicky.

Chicky came home for Easter weekend.

That was when we gifted her the car the Mr. had bought her a few weeks before…

She was thrilled to finally have her own vehicle.  She even washed it over the weekend.

While she was working on the car, I was working in my flower bed, and she commented, “Mama, I’m so glad I didn’t get a car when I turned 16.  I appreciate it so much more now.”

It was another sign of maturity.

My family went out to eat after attending church on Easter.  During the car ride, Chicky gave me suggestions for activities I could do with my sixth graders.  She had been doing a bit of student teaching through the Junior League down south.  She also took one or two education classes this past semester.

We had fun comparing notes about our classes and experiences.

We had finally found common ground.

In fact, after returning to school, Chicky, who rarely calls just to “chat,” called me to share the ideas she and a group in one of her classes had for the lesson plan they had to write for their final exam.

Our conversation was the most normal kind you could imagine a mother and a daughter having.

While this may seem insignificant to most people, it means the world to me.

Chicky and I have had a few issues over the years.  I am hoping that this is the beginning of the end of them…the beginning of healing and the creation of a new relationship.

Last weekend, Chicky attended the college’s sports banquet.

It was quite the fancy shindig.  The girls on the soccer team dressed to the nines, and that included Chicky.

Teresa, the coach’s wife (and photographer extraordinaire) took pictures of the girls.  I chuckled when I saw them sporting soccer cleats with their fancy outfits…

Chicky had called me and told me that she had been nominated for an award.  Neither of us expected her to actually receive it.

She’s only a Freshman, after all.

She called me after the ceremony was over.

She’d been given the award.

Actually, she’d received three awards that evening:  Best Defender, Queen of Spring, and MVP.

These awards were voted on by her teammates…her peers.

I was humbled.  I think she was too.

It was the culmination of a fantastic first year of college.

When I rode away from Chicky last August, I never imagined that she would grow and change so much over the course of such a short period of time.

It seems that, in the blink of an eye, Chicky has been transformed from a little girl to a little lady…

…A little lady who can make a pair of cleats and a fancy dress look like the latest fashion craze.

I love you, Chicky!

Filed under: children | Tagged: childrearing, raising children, soccer |