Monday, December 14

"It's Official..."

This morning, bright and early, through a fog enshrouded Tampa landscape, departed our daughter, Megan, north for the snow bond, wind sweep, and bright lights of Chicago, 1oo5 miles away from the familiar and the comforting hearth and home she has known for the past 24 years.


It has been a whirlwind of time constrained activity these past several weeks since it was officially determined that the "love of her life," Greg, had been offered a leadership position at the national headquarters of his university fraternity, Sigma Chi. There were the daunting tasks of finding and securing a suitable (and affordable) apartment, completing the final undergraduate requirements for Greg's degree in elementary education, participating in the commencement ceremonies this past Saturday for the University of South Florida, hosting the graduation celebration, and yesterday's "all hands on deck" clearing our of Meg's and Greg's Tampa residence that entailed the packing of all of their worldly possessions into a rental truck packed to the gills in readiness for this morning's departure.



Now they are on their way... The plan is to travel to Cookeville, Tennessee today and spend the night with my life-long friend Dallas, before making the final leg of the journey tomorrow. They have a good 12 hours of driving today and another 9 0r 10 the following. Ahead of them lies the unenviable task of arriving at their final destination at who knows what hour of the day or night to unload the truck in Chicago temperatures that will undoubtedly be 50 to 60 degrees less than the tropical 80 degrees predicted for we south Floridians. I do not envy them the ordeal, but I do envy them the excitement of a new adventure in this new chapter in their lives together. God willing, they will do well.


The realization that our little girl is no longer within an arm's length of me and her Mom has yet to come to take up full residence in our hearts and minds. Megan has always been a self-determined young lady. From the time she resolutely set out as a four year old with an attache case of mine singularly packed with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, headed off around the corner to conquer the world, she has all through her developing and maturing years been in quest of embracing and shaping her destiny in her own terms. This is but a new chapter in that journey, for which I am very and unashamedly proud as I watch her go. I hold no fear or misgivings that she will embrace with limitless intrepidness all of the many challenges and opportunities that lie in her path. Chicago has no idea what it has in store when these two young people blow into town. A new chapter in the Windy City is about to be written.

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