Growing up, my daughter was attached to my hip. I often called her my shadow.
So when it was time for her to go to college, the running joke among friends and family was how would we make it without each other.
First semester of her freshman year was tough. She got homesick, which was to be expected. I warned her that being eight hours away wouldn’t be easy, but imagination and reality are two very different things. She learned and she adjusted.
My shadow is now about to finish her junior year of college — six hours away from Indianapolis. She transferred schools after her freshman year.
I knew my shadow would be OK because although we’re hundreds of miles apart, we’re only a FaceTime call away. And boy, do we love FaceTime. I don’t think there’s been a week that’s gone by since her freshman year that we haven’t FaceTimed at least once. Thanks to technology, I don’t just get to hear her voice, I get to see her face, and see all the sights she wants me to see in real time. As long as I have my phone, my shadow is with me.
Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations.
Oseye Boyd is the fabulous mom of two only children. You can reach her at [email protected].
Related
Republish This Story
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
