Parents spend years secretly yearning for the day their kid’s are off the dole. No more college to pay for. No more hairstyles, allowance, cell phone bills, speeding tickets. The end of paying for spring and fall clothes, car expenses, and animals they wanted, but then dumped on you.
Monday my daughter Landon left to volunteer in a hospital in Thailand that cares for orphans with AIDS. She will be gone at least a year.
I am so proud of her, giving a year of her life to this project. She has worked hard all year to cover her expenses, and will live with her aunt and uncle Tripp and Allison Johnston who are missionaries there. Landon is not a missionary, just an unpaid worker.
She spent the last week saying good-bye to her college friends, her mom, and then Sunday night went out to dinner with me.
We talked about the money I will still send her to help out, and when and where we might meet during the next year. That may not happen, with airline prices and schedules so wacky.
We also talked about what we ment to each other, but kept it light for obvious reasons. Then I walked her to the car she borrowed to see me. We looked at each other, and just broke down. I couldn’t believe this tiny girl was heading to the other side of the planet. There was a part of me that was angry.
I watched her drive off.
The next day I called her at 5 Am on my way to work. She was on her way to the airport. During the 7 AM news I knew she was taking off for a trip that would take most of two days.
I couldn’t complain. Since she was a little girl I had always encouraged her to experience the world and it’s exotic wonders, both big and small, and to love people who are in pain. Writing this, I am looking at a picture of us hugging in front of Big Ben in London, the day before Diana died. I think she was 12. I took her on the trip with our listeners.
Today was a little better. I knew she was in great hands with her aunt and uncle. They are solid, loving people, who adore her.
Then I made two calls. The first was to my insurance guy whom I told to remove her from my insurance because she wouldn’t be driving here for a year. That saves me $60.00 month. The second call was to the cell phone company. I told them to take her off my bill, because her phone won’t work from Thailand. That saves me about $80.00 a month. The idea that she is off my contact list was numbing.
It is the hardest $140.00 I ever made. And I am so proud of her.
