Feeling left out in all the college talk

My son plays lacrosse.  Actually he's played a variety of sports since he was 5 yrs old, so I have a set of sport parent friends.  We've watched our boys grow into a group of amazing young men.  Naturally since they are all looking to graduate in June, we talk about our college adventure.  OK, they talk about their college adventure and I just listen in feeling a bit left out in the whole experience.  Honestly I'm pretty bummed; I was looking forward to acceptance letters and accepted students days and that final decision of this is the school.

Alex and I visited schools  in the spring when he was looking to do the Army Reserve and go to college after high school.  He had a couple picked out, filled out the application, gathered references, and even wrote an essay just the change his mind at the beginning of the year to go active instead of reserve.  He even had his favorite one.  I used to be able to compare notes about different schools and majors.  Now I just get questions and looks of sympathy.  I think they are happy it's not their son running off with the Army instead of going to college.

I know it's his life and he needs to do what he feels is his path.  Still bummed there will be no letters of acceptance to find in my mailbox, no second visits to his favorite colleges, no dorm room shopping, no having him come home on the weekends to do laundry.  I'm very proud he had joined the Army, just having a hard time changing how I thought it was all going to work.

Intro Test Blog

First, I must be honest and say I've never been very successful at maintaining a blog.  I've started and forgotten more blogs than I can recall, but as they say practice makes perfect and some day it will stick.

What drives me to keep trying?  Usually life changing events.  Like when my son's father left us 16 years ago, when I became totally frustrated trying to date as a single mom and decided to give it up, when I purchased my first money pit home, or when in a couple months my son is going to graduate high school and run off with the Army.

I have extremely mixed feelings about the whole thing.  My life has basically rotated around my son for the last 17 almost 18 years.  He was a busy kid growing up and I wouldn't change a thing.  But now, I'm looking at another major life change - being alone.  It's not like he's going to go to college and will be home on vacations in a few months.  Damn kid joined the Army on his 17th birthday.  The Army is just waiting for him to graduate high school so they can whisk him  away to basic training and whatever happens after that.

Well, I think this is long enough to play with how I desire my blog to look.  I'm sure it will always be evolving, but I have to start somewhere.