My Grandmother used to always tell me that as you get older, time goes by faster and faster.  I would listen politely and thought I was hearing the repetitive chatter of a sweet old lady.  Little did I know, what she was actually doing was trying to prepare me for the day when time started picking up its tempo.

As I look back at my last blog, from mid-September, I realize that she was right. Time is moving faster!  Since my last post we have been back up to Hendrix twice to see Grace.  We attended Family Weekend the end of September, and we visited the last weekend in October for the 41st Hendrix Diving & Swimming Classic and the 46th Hendrix Diving and Swimming Relays.

It’s hard to believe that the kids have been in school for just over three months already, and they are looking ahead at their first finals. The “Honeymoon” seems to be over, and the real work has begun.

Let’s go back. First, to Family Weekend...it was so exciting to get to see our daughter for the first time since she had left for school.  The campus was alive with activities and smiling parents and students.  The kids still seemed to be feeling the euphoria of leaving home for the first time and coming to college to be on their own.  They even seemed to like to flaunt the fact that they could make their own decisions about things, like making their beds (or not), cleaning their rooms and wearing slippers outside. They were on their own!

We tried to take in as many activities and events as we could and still spend some time with Grace.  One thing I did not do in advance, and soon realized was a mistake, was finding out who my daughter’s professors were and what classes (exactly) she was taking so we could sit in on a class and get an idea of what she is up against.  We did sit in on an English literature class, that we picked at random, and it was fun to see the kids interact with the professor.  Being a science major, I was a little out of my element, but Fred knew the works they were discussing in class.  I did realize, as I sat there trying to figure out what it was all about, that the students at Hendrix are a very smart, articulate and enlightened group.  And the professor was well versed in getting the kids engaged and exploring their thoughts. It made me excited that Grace was a part of this college community.

There were many, many fun things we did and saw during this visit, including going to a reception at President Cloyd’s house and attending the worship service in Greene Chapel, but one thing I have to point out was something most people wouldn’t have been so excited about.  The cafeteria.  It was the greatest!  We took most of our meals away from campus, as a special treat for Grace, and when we walked into the cafeteria for our first meal, which was delicious, I was taken back by the beautiful fall decorations.  There were decorations hanging from the ceiling, in every corner, on every counter top and above every serving area. I had to stop and grab my camera.  You see I have decorated our home for the holidays since the kids were little, and I was feeling bad that Grace would miss this little tradition.  But the cafeteria ladies came through. Besides providing my daughter with delicious healthy meals, they kept up “our” tradition and decorated for the holidays.

As our first visit came to an end, I realized that I felt differently than I did when we left Grace the first time.  I was content in knowing that she had picked a great school that she felt comfortable and a part of, and she had a good support system of friends and teammates.  So, as we said our good-byes, I was surprised that our daughter’s eyes welled up with tears.  Luckily she had a friend with her so I knew she wouldn’t be alone when we left. As we drove off, I knew she’d be OK and that in a few minutes she’d be back to her life.  College life.

Our next visit was a family affair.  Fred and I took Walker out of school for a day, and we all went up to watch Grace swim that weekend. He could hardly wait to see his big sister again.  As soon as we got to campus, I realized that, as fall had ushered itself in, things had changed.  The kids had settled into a steady cadence, the manic euphoria had gone, and everyone seemed to be more relaxed and mature somehow.

It was Halloween day and there was a buzz around campus about the dance that night but also the realization lingered that a terrible event had occurred on the UCA campus just a few nights before.

We all enjoyed this visit thoroughly with the leaves in every color you can imagine and the cool fall weather, and I came to realize that our daughter did know that she had come to college to study. She has come up against some challenges and has figured out how to manage them for herself. She has found her way and is marching up the path she has chosen. It was hard for me to comprehend that all of this could have happened so quickly. Then I remembered...like my grandmother said, time is going faster.

I hope everyone has a joyous and safe Holiday Season!