Do you need cookies? Do you need juice?

Today was my last day to be with my daughter. I won't see her again until her short leave in August.  We spent the day together eating good food and watching good movies. I soaked up every second of togetherness.  My son and daughter had a blast today and I laughed until I cried so many times. They feed off each other's energy and are hysterical. I don't know who laughed more.  My son is super quick and has some wicked good comebacks and retorts.  I would have to say the entire day was perfect.  Perfect right up until the moment my daughter had to pack up her stuff. *sniff sniff*  It never gets easier. It never is easy for me to say good-bye. What I want to do is throw myself at my daughter. I want to wrap my arms around her and hug her and never let her go. I want to say how I love her more than life itself and I miss her when she goes and I wish I could spend every second with her.  I want to hold onto her and never let her go.  But that isn't good for her. That doesn't help any situation. So I hold back my tears. I stand up straight and smile ear to ear. I tell her I am proud of her and she is awesome and amazing and I love her.  Then I proceed to ask her 1,000 times - "Do you need me to pack up some cookies for you?"  "Do you want some vitamin water?" "Do you need juice, sandwiches, potato chips, peanut butter?" And with each answer of "No, Mommy - I am fine", I find 100 more things to ask her to make sure, REALLY SURE, she doesn't need anything.  I said my good-byes to her as she walked off with her huge green military duffle bag. I didn't shed a tear. I waited until she was far off in the distance and then - the skies opened up and it poured and both the heavens and I cried together.  Bye sweet daughter - go get 'em!