Being the oldest of my siblings, I was the first to move out. It was the most emotional period of time for my family... ever. We reacted like was like I was dying, or moving to Japan. Everything was my "last": last night at home, last dinner, last haircut, last swim meet... I moved 35 minutes away. We've just recently in the last year gotten to the point where my mom can talk about moving day without crying. I'm serious.
Let me set a scene for you: in real Nickles fashion, we were running late. The "move-in" allotted time was from 8:00 to 11:30am at PC. We screeched onto campus at about 11:15. I never even carried a bag, box, fridge up to my room. Upperclassman unloaded our cars, and got everything up to my room in just a few trips. One of the many awesome things I love about PC tradition, the freshmen moving in, rarely have to carry up a piece of their own luggage when moving in. Rocks!
So, my parents and I quickly unpacked my room in a record breaking time, and moved on to move-in day events on campus. There were a few parents' meetings, a few Freshman get to know each other meetings, meetings with advisors, and then a big dinner on the grounds at the end of the evening. By this time, my brother and sister had arrived to have dinner with us. It was outside and beautiful, the weather was perfect, and yet we were all nauseous thinking about the impending "goodbyes". Suddenly, my dad at the table, began a with "E, we are just so proud of you..." and it was about 4 milliseconds later and all five Nickles were crying. I'm not talking grace and poise filled teary eyes. It was a spectacle, my poor brother, was at THE cry when your body convulses to take a short breath. Y'all, it was terrible. I'm sure the faculty and staff coming to speak to us in that 3 minute period were thinking they were going to have to sedate us.
Luckily, for the Nickles family and the whole community of Presbyterian College, the years following me moving back in the fall for school, there were no tears involved. And, when it came time for my sister to move to PC as a Freshman last year, I hear, there were no tears that day either. We've made radical progress!
All of this to say, when I heard Ryan Cobb and Phyllis Spahn were having parents of college students to the Rapha House tonight to fellowship, chat, and share in transition, I knew what I was going to write about.
God created us to glorify and love Him and to be in community with one another, whatever that may look like. Regardless if you have just moved a child to college for the first time, or if you are parents of a 4 month old who is having sleeping issues, there are people like you. They are are experiencing the same hurtles, joys, pain and excitement that you are. Seek those people out, find who can relate, and who has BEEN there. What a great opportunity parents of college students have, to come tonight to the Rapha house, the house of healing and repair, to talk about your common excitement, anxiety and joy. I would be willing to bet a large amount of money that my parents wish so badly there was an outlet for them, the day after moving me in for the first time. What a awesome outlet to have to sit down and talk with the parents just like you and a professional counselor who can share, guide, pray and love you through this transition.
Meet at the Rapha House at 7!
Great stuff!
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