Leaving town...

This is going to be a very difficult spring and summer for me. I'm quite happy and quite sad at the same time.
Lauren is graduating May 23 2010, and she will be moving to Cincinnati, Ohio to start her year long training in her dream job/career. That is wonderful, although it would have been even better if she would have gotten the Chicago job (it didn't pay nearly as well). The only problem with this is, she is taking my son with her. Now that really doesn't sound fair, I make it sound like it's her fault Andy is moving too. Well, in a way I suppose it is, because if he didn't care for her, I doubt that he would uproot himself to move to Ohio. Chicago, yes, in a heartbeat, but Ohio, no. Even though this will be hard on me, I am happy to see him moving on. I don't think this decision is hastily made, because if there is any person that thoroughly thinks through a situation, it's Andy. He absorbs little comments I send him, runs them through his mind, keeps and discards some, and comes up with a solid final decision.
He's a little worried about finding a job there, but I have no doubt that he will do fine. I expect one day to see his name 'Chef Andy' in a magazine about Food and Restaurants, and I will cut it out and put it in his scrapbook.
I regret not following my dreams when I was young, and I would never stand in the way of my children's dreams. I will try to get them to see all options and scenarios, but I'm not going to talk them out of taking a chance to do something different with their lives. That would be going against what I've worked so hard to instill in them.
Not married, no children, no monetary obligations...what better time to find yourself, see other places, do things that matter. Actually, I'm jealous, jealous of their youth, their knowledge, their opportunities, their dreams and desires. I would do things so differently if I had the chance to do them over. Well, some things, like what I'm doing for a living...NOT my children. I would not trade them away for anything.
So, in a couple of months, I will tearfully say good-bye to my second born, wish him well, hope his dreams come true, pray that he stay safe, and (most important to me) pray he doesn't forget me.
Whoa, I'm crying already.
In the mean time, I hope to get to know Lauren better, because the little I know now, I like, and apart from her allergies, I think she is very good for Andy.