Josh and I brought Ellessia to college last weekend.

It was a week of tears and uncertainty as she was recovering from a bad bout of mono. We needed her doctor’s ok for her to start the semester. After two weeks of a sore throat, no energy, and lots of tests, she turned a corner and her health improved rapidly. So, we packed up all her things and moved her in!

Here she is with her hibiscus plant, Gina. She has been taking care of Gina since she was nine years old, so Gina had to go with her to college!

Ellessia is studying Exercise Science at the School of Health and Human Services at UNH, with a minor in Psychology. It is a lot of pre-med type classes, so she has a very full academic load and is hitting the college gym every day. So far, she is loving it all.

It makes this momma very happy!

Everyone tells us to enjoy those baby and toddler years because they go so very fast. It takes every ounce of effort just to get through each day when they are young. Then with each passing year, we watch our children slowly turn into capable independent people. Parenting has been my most important spiritual path, and I know it will continue to be as I now parent adult children.

My daughters have taught me more about myself and about life in general than any other spiritual endeavor. And now parenting is teaching me the importance of trust and letting go. I must understanding who I am beyond the role of a mother and parent. All relationships shift and change over time, and beauty is found in embracing change whole-heartedly.

“A star falls from the sky and into your hands. Then it seeps through your veins and swims inside your blood and becomes every part of you. And then you have to put it back into the sky. And it's the most painful thing you'll ever have to do and that you've ever done. But what's yours is yours. Whether it’s up in the sky or here in your hands.” ― C. JoyBell C.