And the Tears Fell

This morning we said goodbye to our older daughter. It was so hard.  We have said goodbye to her many times so we should be really good at it.  We should be pros.  We should be able to say goodbye to her with smiles on our faces and not get all choked up.  We should be able to.....but we weren't.  Today's goodbye was the hardest.  It might have even be harder than the goodbye we said when she walked through the gates of the Naval Academy for the first time.  Today when we said goodbye - we said goodbye to the rest of her childhood.  We said goodbye to her living at our house. We said goodbye to her being safe within the walls of the Naval Academy.  We said goodbye to knowing where she was at night, knowing the dangers she faces, and we said goodbye to the thought of having her safe and sound.  Her grandma called her last night crying as she said her goodbye.  Her grandma never cries. The doggies were all so sad this morning as they watched our daughter load her last box into the car.  My daughter said goodbye to her doggies and to the comfort of having them to snuggle with at night.  My son and younger daughter said goodbye to their big sister and best friend. Mr. Yesteryear Acres gave her the longest hug goodbye and the tears filled his eyes.  He couldn't hold them back.  Either could our daughter. Our tears fell as she drove down the driveway. Mr. Yesteryear Acres waved goodbye and said, "Goodbye our Second Lieutenant.....good luck at your new job!"