My 60's

Shortly after returning to Asheville, I turned sixty. Monumental, and disconcerting by design. However, I thought of myself as a young Farrah Fawcet or Olivia Newton-John. They looked great, right? And i feel sure that Cindy Crawford will look great at sixty. It was all about attitude, I decided.

The summer had been way too short. It was time to get Isabella to college and Liam into the 11th grade. Isabella had chosen William & Mary in colonial Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693, this was an institution with some history. Many before her had successfully walked the halls of this prestigious institution and had gone on to greatness. I personally had known one of those folks; the current president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, and he had written her a glowing recommendation.

Liam would be an easier transition as now he was driving himself to school, playing football in the fall and beginning the last to years of his classes. As an upperclassman, I looked forward to see how he would become a leader in his class. He was voted "most likely to succeed" and I could see the remnants of Brady more and more each day.

In the middle of August, we packed up the Suburban and headed for Williamsburg. We would stay the nite at the Fort Magruder Hotel and begin moving her in the following day. It was beautiful on that Saturday morning, August 16th, and I was full of excitement and sadness as we moved her in. Her roommate hailed from Nebraska; quite a ways away from home, and had come to study economics, Latin and history. Chloe would become a teacher, mother and wife someday; but for now, she was a "wet-behind-the-ears" college student from Nebraska.

After moving in what seemed like a mountain of stuff, we went to the dining hall for a bite of lunch. I had signed Isabella up for the meal plan, and she would be able to eat four times daily. I warned her about the "Freshman-15", as I had gained a little more than fifteen pounds my first semester of college. Having more resolve than I at that age, I knew she would be fine.

We stayed with her and roamed the campus until mid-afternoon. After purchasing some items at the Barnes & Noble school bookstore; like a lanyard, school sweatshirt and a few necessary ancillary items, it was time to retreat to Asheville. We left around 3:30 PM, and pulled into the driveway at 11:00 PM. I cried myself to sleep as my baby had left me. er father never got to see her go to prom, graduate or now go to college. My thoughts drifted from Brady to Paul, as I needed to feel something real that I could latch onto.

It was a long nite filled with tears, and the morning came too early the following day.