Our Family: 48 Hours Without Cassie

First, I had to survive 24 hours without my phone. Then, I had to survive 48 hours without Cassie! She left Friday afternoon for a two-day church retreat. We had been preparing for this since August. We made sure she had hiking boots, got a new winter jacket, dug out all her long-sleeved shirts. But, I just wasn't ready for her to be gone this long!

Cassie had reluctantly gone on this trip last year.  That was the first time that she had been away from us for more than an overnight and she was worried. This year was different. She was thrilled to be going. It's not that she was thrilled to be away from us. But, she wasn't sad or nervous about leaving us.

The day before the trip, the pastor called to give us the landline number to the retreat site, reminding us that there was very limited cell coverage. Oh yes, I recalled that we wouldn't be able to communicate with Cassie while they were up in the mountains.

That evening, we dug around the attic trying to find a suitable duffel bag. Cassie didn't want to be laughed at for bringing too much. But, on the other hand, she didn't want to look suspect if she didn't bring enough. We didn't want someone to think that she might be wearing the same jeans two days in a row!

We stood in the church parking lot waiting for the kids to get in the vans and said our goodbyes. Cassie came back and hugged me a second time. I tried not to be overly emotional. I looked at it as strength training for when I leave her in a college dorm a few years from now. We waved goodbye and realized we had the rest of the evening in front of us. Well, we couldn't exactly drop Lacey at home and go out for a romantic dinner. So, we went out for pizza.  I kept my phone on the table, just in case Cassie texted during the two-hour drive.

Back at home, we settled down with the TV. I took advantage of Cassie's absence to work on a Christmas present for her. I kept my phone nearby, in case she texted. I even slept with my phone next to me, in case there was some kind of emergency. What if the heat didn't work in their cabin? Would she remember my earlier advice about how a person loses so much heat through their extremities and remember to put her hat on? Had she remembered to pack a hat?

Saturday morning I got up early, made sure that the stray cat Cassie's caring for was fed, and went to yoga class. During meditation, all I could think about was how I might convince Cassie to go to college locally. After class, I decided to go straight to the supermarket. Without the kids along, I got my shopping done in record time. I did feel guilty that I had forgotten my recyclable bags. Cassie would have never let me forget. Meanwhile, Les and Lacey made their weekly supply run to the pet store. They also got through in record time. Did Cassie really slow us down or are these shopping trips just less interesting without her?

Les and I went down to the basement and talked about renovating it. Cassie is so social now. Maybe if we fixed up the basement, Cassie and her friends would want to hang out at our house.

I cleaned the kitchen while Lacey moped around her bedroom. Then I heard a strange thumping noise and saw her dragging a basket of laundry down the steps. She explained that she wanted to surprise Cassie by getting the laundry done. We got a load going and I asked her if she'd like to go to the mall. Lacey needed some new clothes, including a warm jacket and a Christmas dress. Lacey wasn't sure we'd be able to make good choices without Cassie. "Are you kidding?" I asked her. "Who do you think taught Cassie how to shop?"

Lacey and I had a great time. We went to Pentagon City and had lunch out. I was even able to get her to try on two items of clothing!  We sent Cassie a picture of Lacey in the mall but couldn't tell if she received it. Back at home, Lacey decided that she was going to leave everything we got in the bag so that she could show it all to Cassie.

I still hadn't heard from Cassie and worried that maybe she was outside freezing on a hike or sitting in a dining hall being forced to eat food that she considers unhealthy.  Suddenly, her text tone sounded. I grabbed my phone and read, "Wish I was shopping." I breathed a tremendous sigh of relief.  Even though she said she wished she was shopping, she wouldn't be shopping alone. She did miss us!

Now, it's Sunday morning and I'm up early, counting the hours until I go sit in the parking lot, waiting for the vans to arrive safely. How will I ever let her go off to college? But, the truth is that once Cassie gets home I won't have time to worry about this. She will have photos to show us, homework to finish, her violin to practice and Lacey's clothes to admire. And, I will recognize more than ever how precious all this time is.