Feeling even more raw as the time gets nearer. She’ll be under someone else’s watchful eye. I just hope they lookout for her safety as much as I do. I’m counting the days until she checks in for Basic Training. Soon I’ll be down to counting hours, and I’m dreading that feeling. Time is running out for our girl time. We shop, go out to eat, and go see girl movies. We won’t get that nearly as often, and not for quite a while. I’ll miss that, but I’ll be worried sick about how she’s doing on her own, with strangers. I’m so raw inside. I feel like I’ve been skewered and put on the grill, waiting for someone to light the fire. This is a horrible, miserable feeling, and I don’t like it at all. She’s on edge constantly. I’m on edge. Her dad is on edge. He’s finally decided that he doesn’t want her to go. We’ve tried bribing her, but that doesn’t work. She’s determined to do this on her own, to make it on her own, and make her own way. One thing is for sure—I’ve raised a headstrong girl. She has stood up for herself more these past few weeks, than I’ve ever seen her stand up for herself. She’s becoming her own woman, and growing her own wings, and flying in her own sky. I guess it’s not right for me to want to hold her down, hold her back, protect and guard her. I have no choice but to let her go. This is what she wants to do, and I have to let her do it. Getting out of her way is proving to be way harder than I thought it would be.