Jackie, that is so beautiful. It just shows you that blessings do come after hardships. What a great son you raised. Good job, Mom and Dad!!

Oh Jackie...I have goosebumps reading your post...your son is amazing...and no wonder...you are is Mom...I'm so thankful you and Chuck are still here with us...here is a hug from another "stranger"...(((((Jackie)))))..your story made my whole day!!!

Thanks you for the kind words, ladies. I could not have gotten through the ups and downs of the last few years without my kids. They are both truly amazing young people, and I think God for them every day. Parenting them wasn't always easy, but they have been a constant source of joy and pride to us.

When I look back at this time last year, I feel as though I'm looking back at a nightmare. Every time I thought it was over, something worse would happen. Talk about taking life one day at a time. Sometimes even getting through 15 minutes at a time was a challenge. People have asked how I got through it with my sanity and sense of humor in tact. I'm not sure; I did what I had to do.

One thing's for sure. Now is a lot better than it was then!

Blondi, you think you're sappy...I got little tears reading what your daughter did on camera. Doesn't it feel great to know you are loved?

Jacki, your post is there twice and I'm leaving it. What a perfect post to appear two times! Wow, you must feel so good about your son.

Okay ladies, enough. I have tears rolling.

The crazy thing is that I think I've been preparing for the empty nest and feel good about it most days, but then I picture my two youngest at their graduations and fill up. God help me get through this May and June. And then there's August and September! Ack...

Oh, and I love that Cosby story. I've never heard that.

LOL I end up double posting sometimes because I'm basically computer illiterate.

We're proud of both my son and daughter. But that day last June was very special for us. It was the first time the 4 of us had been together not in a hospital all year! And we knew that Ed would soon be moving back east to be close to us.

Having Ed go away to college was a little easier than when Laura left, because he was 3 hours away from her as opposed to her 8. Somehow that felt like right next door!

Sounds like a day to remember.

I'm hoping our younger two stay closer to home when they go away. Our oldest is almost a 10 hour drive from home. Too far!

My older daughter will be going to college in Ohio in the fall. I am thrilled that she has the confidence to leave home and to go away to college -- something I didn't feel I could do when I was that age. She'll be 380 miles away --- we haven't driven it yet because it's only $80 roundtrip by Southwest Air but we will be loading up the van and taking her there in August.

I've learned to relax through the entire college visit-application process. It all started last April when my husband was worried that she wasn't looking at colleges. Many years ago, he missed out on going to his first choice school because he missed the filing deadline. So, he planned a local college tour through MD-VA-PA to get our daughter thinking about schools. She didn't want to go to any of these schools but at least she looked at some colleges. He was worried that she would be "late" in applying, etc. My daughter and I met with the guidance counselor at school and knew that we were fine -- "I wish that all of my students were as prepared as you are". If my husband had gone to any of these meetings, he would have known that everything was OK -- but he was at work. Anyway, one day in April 2005 after our MD-VA-PA tour, my daughter decided to dump all of the college mailings that I'd been collecting on the living room floor and sort them by geography. Because she hates heat and humidity, she trashed everything that was sent from a school that's south of Maryland. A mailing from Wittenberg U. in Ohio rose to the top of the pile because its envelope said that they have an East Asian studies program. She got all excited and wanted to visit the school. Two weeks later, she and I flew out to Ohio, visited the school, and we both fell in love with it. Last fall, she applied to a total of 5 schools. Her guidance counselor even suggested that she apply to a local school that she doesn't want to go to just to please her father. She knew by Christmas that she'd been accepted into all 5 of them. The hardest part was getting her to write that stupid essay. She just dragged her feet and wouldn't buckle down and write it. It was difficult "pressuring" a child who's been treated for depression and anxiety. You don't want to do anything that might throw her over the edge but, still, that application deadline is looming and you don't want your kid to miss out. Finally, last October, I took away her computer and told her that she could have it back after she wrote her essay. Fifteen minutes later, she tossed a pencil written essay on the bed beside me and we were on our way. Imagine --- I couldn't get a kid who loves to write to write her college essay! It was exasperating!

Anyway, at this point in my life, I've decided not to worry --- it doesn't help the future and it ruins the present. I've learned how to set my boundaries. My husband can worry if he wants to, but I don't have to join him. Nothing is set in stone. I think she'll love it at Wittenberg but if it doesn't work out, she can always transfer to another school.

MIsfire, it's been fun seeing you inthe neighborhood again.

Glad to hear your daughter has decided. I'm also happy to hear that you are cool with her going over 300 miles away.

Our daughter has decided and is staying closer to home in Maryland. I'm tickled for her. She'll live on campus, but be able to get home as she pleases.

Our son is still waiting to hear from one last school. This is way late, but the school received an unusual amount of applicants and wanted to give everyone a fair look. It's April 11th. I thought they had to mail before the first, but not this school.

I guess you're gearing up for all the graduate activities too. Should be a wild couple months.

We just received the health forms from the college that my daughter will be attending in the fall. And, of course, the college wants to know if my daughter has ever had any "psychological problems." Of course, we all know that depression is a physical disease of the brain that is treatable with drugs and therapy. My daughter has suffered from the family disease --depression-- handed down from her grandmother and her mother. I have to admit that I'm reluctant to write down that she has been treated even though I know that I will be honest. I'm the one feeling the stigma -- she doesn't care who knows -- which, of course, is the way it should be. It's a treatable, physical disease and not a sign of "weakness." If I keep repeating that thought, maybe someday I'll truly believe it and be kinder to myself.