My son is having a hard time right now. He’s back at college for his second semester as a freshman. He doesn’t like his roommate situation, he’s not sleeping well, he’s struggling to be creative with his work (he’s in art school), and he’s really unhappy. He has a plan to transfer, so he knows this won’t last forever.
When he first left for college, my biggest fear was that he wouldn’t be happy. (I think all parents worry about that.) His texts about how miserable he feels make me so sad. I feel helpless. But at the same time, my heart feels full, because he called me last night at 1:31 a.m.
He knew I would answer. He knew I would get out of bed (so I wouldn’t wake my husband) and go downstairs to talk to him for as long as he needed.
He knew I’d listen to him, hold space for him, and let him be quiet on the other end if that’s what he needed. I wouldn’t rush him to talk or hang up. We talked for 37 minutes. He told me he loved me twice and thanked me for listening.
Things haven’t always been easy between us, but I’m so grateful he knows I will ALWAYS be there for him.
