This past week, we packed up Eliza’s things, stuffed them into a dangerously full car, and drove over 700 miles to Rider University. We unpacked the car, carried everything into her dorm, helped her get some things set up, had some lunch, and then….drove back to TN without her.

It is the most baffling and difficult thing about being a parent, that your job is to make your kid not need you anymore.

When we finally arrived back at home in TN, after 1700 miles and traveling through ...