Adulting with Emma

Happy 18th Birthday Emma!

Welcome to Adulting! That magic land of legal responsibility with some terribly boring and terribly inane forms and requirements. Emma got a full taste of this, this past spring, as she sat down and went through the federal government's required loan education system and pages and pages of disclaimers and notifications and data entry points and check boxes to read and accept her Federal Student Loans. It was Adulting 101. I am happy to say that she passed. She survived and got her desired result.

This new status coincided with so many other points of independence. Emma got her driver's license on Aug 11, just 2 days prior to her learner's permit expiring. She took the test back in June but failed after hitting a cone, then in July she went again and this time a burned out turn signal on my Mom's silver Buick disqualified her before even getting on the course. In the end she was successful and got her desired result: independent mobility.  Emma also gained physical independence on Aug 25 as she moved into her dorm room. Her personal schedule is all her own. She is no longer bound by our family mealtimes, or work schedules, or activity schedules. She is bound only by her school schedule, which she has a say in determining. This autonomy is sweet and I hope she is relishing it.

The autonomy granted by a license and moving out and reaching legal majority, also bring with it responsibility. The rules and laws now have more weight. Common courtesy is not just a thing parents teach it is necessary part of being successful in adulthood.  Moral truths maintain concrete impact and abstract significance. Emma is no longer under the shield of a guardian in the legal sense but happily it is still there. We are grateful Emma is covered by the shield of our family, that is always available and that she is guarded by God and by our baby angels always.

It is a blessing to be joined by Emma and to do adulting with her.

The actual celebrating of her birthday was a bit clumsy, as we figured out how to adult WITH her. Original plans of not coming home from college changed with only a few days notice and we shifted a tentative schedule around. Emma came home with a friend Sunday afternoon and was able to join us at an extended family labor day/ birthday party at the pool. It was so good to see her and hear her share stories of her first week and a half at college. On Labor day we slipped in a little bit of time biking together. The big girls biked and met the rest of us at Westchester, so we could spend a little time teaching Bridget to ride a bike. then we made a quick dash to pick up art supplies for Emma's classes. We went to Olive Garden for a birthday lunch and that was a lot of fun. Then we went together for Emma to pick out a camera that had the features she needed for a class, as her birthday present.

After a quick dash home again, Emma gathered her things and we headed back to college. Jim ran to the store to pick up a birthday treat for her to bring back with her, since we didn't have a chance to have dessert. He stayed home with Hanna after buying the Red Velvet cake, and the rest of us piled in for the trip to see Emma's dorm. Her roommates were studying, so the girls didn't get to visit long but they were glad to at least see Emma's room before we walked back to the van. We said more Happy Birthdays and Emma returned to her self-determined life while covered with the shield of a family that has staying power.

Happy Birthday Emma!