Today smells like Blueberry Muffins
March 15th, 2010 
Administrator 
Nobody tells you that you only have to make it to Christmas break and it all gets easier. Life would be so much easier if parents would share information. The parents who’ve been there, done that.
Sending your first-born off to college is a challenging time for parents. You are so full of hope, and excited for their new adventure. Naturally, there is also the parental nervousness and anxiety. Will she be okay? Will she eat and take care of herself? Will she be happy? And most of all, will she be safe?
My insightful daughter was a bit homesick and realized that for her, the sound of family voices would only make things worse. So, she set out the rule: texts and emails only, please. This went for all family members; aunties, siblings, grandpas and grandmas included.
This rule was hard to follow and especially tough on Mom. Going from hearing her voice every day to no talking at all, was difficult. But I realized that she was the one away from all of us, we were still here all together and it was toughest on her. So, I had to respect her wishes and follow the rule.
Every day, I’d send off an email and anxiously wait for any little detail of her new adventure, 650 miles away. Sometimes, there would be a brief reply, right away. Other days, no word until late at night, just before bed. The weekends were the worst. If I didn’t hear back right away, or even the same day I’d battle the worry all day – “oh, she’s fine, just busy…but what if…what if something’s happened and no one knows. What if her roommate went home for the weekend and something happened, no one would know for days!”
As time went on, I worried less and less. I knew she was fine. I knew she was having fun. I knew I’d see her soon. It was almost time for Christmas break. I counted down the weeks, then the days. But, I still missed that voice.
Seeing her walking toward us in the airport, with her backpack and university sweatshirt was the happiest moment ever. We enjoyed every minute of Christmas break. Even if she spent the day sitting on the couch, engrossed in her laptop, catching up with friends – she was home. I could peek into the family room and there she was. I could hear that little voice.
Saying goodbye at the airport was easier than saying goodbye in the fall. If I remember correctly, there weren’t even tears, lots of hugs, but no tears. “Text us when you’re on the plane.” And then she was gone.
Though the “texting and emailing only” rule was still in force, somehow it was easier now. The anxiety eased and the worry faded. But I never stopped missing the voice.
One day the phone rang. “It smells like blueberry muffins today!” she said. What? I had no idea what that statement was supposed to mean. But, wait! It’s the voice! I was so overjoyed to hear her voice that I didn’t really care!
Then, she explained. During the first semester, on occasion there was a wonderful smell in the air. Sometimes it was there, other times it wasn’t. Maybe it was coming from the cafeteria. Nope, it wasn’t the cafeteria. She couldn’t figure it out.Upon returning to campus after Christmas break, she had finally discovered that in the neighboring town was a big cereal manufacturer. On certain days, when the weather was just right and the wind was blowing from the southeast, you could tell which flavor cereal was being produced; one day honey-nut, another blueberry muffin.While hearing about the flavor of the day, I realized that it had all gotten easier, for both of us. The Christmas break confirmed that we had survived the semester apart. To our surprise, the semesters didn’t actually last an eternity. We really could make it to the next break. And she discovered that hearing our voices wasn’t going to be too much to handle. This call was a turning point.I still waited every day for a reply. But I also waited, hoping to hear what the day smelled like, today!
Carol Probst
Editor/Writer – Today’s Parent
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