I Remember

Leaving for college on the other side of the country was scary and exciting and a great adventure, but it was heartbreaking in one way. I felt like I was leaving behind my two sisters who I had just barely met. Olivia was three years old and Elise was still learning to talk at just 18 months old. I didn't know what would happen four years down the road when I finished my degree (It ended up being five).  There was no guarantee that I would be back to the same town or state or even that I would return to the East Coast. Maybe I would have a job and stay in the West or maybe I would further my education at another school -God knows where.  Maybe I would marry someone who I'd follow to Texas or California (but I was pretty set on marrying my boyfriend from down the road, so that wasn't a big concern).  I looked at these sisters, one still in diapers, the other just barely out, and worried I would miss their whole lives. I wondered if they would remember me and all of the fun we had had in just a few short years.

It was a tearful goodbye. The van was packed to the gills and I was anticipating the arrival of two of my driving mates. I remember those moments in my parents' bedroom clearly though it happened almost fifteen years ago. I was sitting on the bed still wearing my church clothes that Sunday afternoon, the sun streaming through the west facing windows, my mom and two sisters giving hugs and frantic advice (just Mom in that case), my dad possibly videotaping (I'll have to look into that ). Then Livi told me she had something for me. It was a pink plastic piggy bank, a blue and white gingham kerchief tied around its neck. "So you can save up to come back home".  She had put a few pennies in to give me a head start.