Well it’s back-to-school time for the Ellis gang. Sierra headed west for her junior year at Montana State in Bozeman and Jackson is commencing his junior year at Stevens High School, and hopefully will progress to graduation commencement next year. Dawn’s prepping to dazzle her students at National American University and I’m a few weeks deep into my third year at Chadron State College. It was nice knowing you summer.

As has been the custom for many years now, the family convened for an end of summer supper. This year’s venue of choice was the Golden Phoenix for some Chinese cuisine, and the hopes that a small piece of paper, liberated from a stale cookie, may provide some wisdom for the year to come. No such luck on any useful wisdom from a crappy cookie, so I guess we’re going to have to fly blind into yet another academic year. So it goes.

Like a game of Tetris played with an assortment of shoes, cameras, and clothes, Sierra and I loaded up her little two-door Honda Civic, until the nooks and crannies were no more. Before she slid into the driver’s seat I offered up some last minute fatherly advice, “Don’t fart, there’s no room.” Then we both tried not to cry, neither one of us are good at trying not to cry, so we shed a few tears, and said as much as one can say when they’re trying not to cry.

It was good to have the family under one roof for the summer. Sierra and Dawn were working much of the time, but I found that simply being at the house to witness their many comings and goings to be a comfort.

It doesn’t seem to be possible, but it was 25 years ago that my parents left me to fend for myself at Northern State in Aberdeen. I can still see that big green Chrysler pulling away, with dad watching me wave goodbye in the rear view mirror. Dad later told me that Mom cried all the way to Jamestown, and all he could think was, “What are we doing? We can’t just leave him here all alone.”

I don’t remember thinking much of anything at the time (thinking isn’t something 18 year old boys do much of), but I laid in bed that night on a tear soaked pillow missing everyone and everything I had known for the past 18 years. I remember thinking, “This is stupid, I don’t belong here.” The only way I could make it stop was to convince myself that I would finish the semester at Northern and then transfer to Minot State, closer to everyone and everything I had always known.

That one semester turned into two, and I met people that are still my good friends today, people that made me feel like I belonged there. If it hadn’t been for them, and the distraction and joy playing college baseball brought, I don’t think I could have weathered all those homesick storms.

It takes great strength for a parent to let their child go off and find out who they are and what they want to do in this world, but it also takes strength for a child to leave everyone and everything they’ve ever known and face an unfamiliar unknown. I guess we each put on as brave a face as we can to try and put the other at ease.

It’s that time of year…be strong…all will be well.