I love Eldest

Eldest is a pretty spectacular big sister. She had her non-graduation party on Saturday, and turned down our offer to take her siblings elsewhere for the duration. She didn't get annoyed when 9yo Snuggler and 6yo Little Guy hung out with her friends. (To their credit, her friends didn't mind, either. They were great kids, fun and funny.)

Eldest is Big Guy's best friend, and a real lifeline for him. She is Dancer's favorite person; two years ago when Eldest went on her annual trip to Cousin Susan's, she asked if she could bring Dancer along the following year. She likes hanging out with her sibs. Snuggler adores her. Little Guy is sad that Eldest is going away to school, though he's nearly a decade younger than she is. 

I was the eldest in my family, so I have no experience with what it's like being left behind when an older sister leaves for college. I wasn't as attentive a big sister as Eldest, so perhaps my siblings didn't care that much. My kids care. Oh, how they care!

Tomorrow is Eldest's birthday, and I am infinitely honored to have been her mother all these years. I like my girl, and love her, and admire her. She makes it easy for me to feel like a good mom. People ask me if I'm worried about sending my daughter off to college so young, and my answer is no. I am confident that Eldest can make mistakes and recover from them, and that's the acid test for independence.

Besides, with Skype and cell phones and email and blogs, distance isn't quite what it used to be.