First Son Takes Flight

We took Dillon to Baylor University on Wednesday, August 15 and the day was all joy! I was excited to see his room, help him get it set up, and meet his suite mates. As a matter of a fact, the only time I cried was when I mentioned how that day was a cinch compared to what I experienced when Dillon left for the summer.

The big “moving on” chapter for Dillon began shortly after graduation from high school. Each year the U.S. President’s Committee selects two students from each state to be honored as U.S. Presidential Scholars, and Dillon was blessed to have been chosen as one of the Texas scholars for 2012. He was flown to Washington D.C. to receive his award in June.

Since Chris was out of the country on a mission trip, he wasn’t able to be there, but I was able to attend. The scholars stayed together at Georgetown University, so I did not get to see Dillon much once the weekend was underway. The “letting go” moment of my summer came just after we met to go to church in D.C.

In a dark, loud, bustling, underground subway station I had to say goodbye to my son before he left for Africa for the summer. I held on to his strong frame and tears flowed like rain. I told him I was confident in him and the Lord’s leadership in his life — the tears were simply because we would miss him.

As I walked to my hotel I prayed he would make it safely to the Dulles Airport the next day (I would have already departed on my flight from Reagan National Airport). I prayed the Lord would grant him rest on his 32-hour flight with three layovers, one of which was through an African airport we were told to avoid. I prayed he would get the required reading done for the last five required books before entering the missions school.  I prayed his body would adjust quickly to the seven-hour time difference and that someone would remember to pick him up from the airport. I prayed he would bond quickly with friends, though he was coming into the program three weeks late and he was the youngest of 300 students there.

God answered all my prayers for Dillon, his flights, and his arrival (Thank you, Father!) Though we had no phone contact with him, he had a half hour of computer access every week or two and was able to send emails. The two times we were able to Skype were a highlight – I loved hearing his laugh as his siblings told stories from the summer.

One other unexpected contact came through Steve Hyde, missionary to Cambodia. While he and his family were visiting McKinney in July, we had them over for dinner. After introducing ourselves and our children, we told him that one of our sons was not here because he was in Mozambique. He then told us he would be in Mozambique in two weeks. He was going to teach at the missions school Dillon was attending! Two weeks later Steve found Dillon, told him he had just been to his home for dinner, then delivered a hug, a card from the family and two bags of pistachios — a favorite snack.

Besides the traumatic D.C. subway farewell, the next big realization of Dillon’s moving on came in July when we moved the kids around to different bedrooms. Since Dillon would not be home much anymore and we expect to add two children through adoption soon, he was demoted from a “prime” real estate room to a small bedroom upstairs. As I took down his pictures from his bulletin board, and emptied his closet, again the tears flowed as my heart grieved over things never being the same.

On August 11th we welcomed him safely home, then enjoyed a wonderful three days as a family before it was time to move him to Baylor.

For all the years I have anticipated the heartache of dropping him off at college, I never expected to be so happy. Chris and I were able to drive him to where he would be staying two hours away, help make his bed and get him settled. He has good food readily available (with which to gain back the twenty-five pounds he lost). Contact is easy – we can text or call anytime. No, I didn’t feel the grief of a big break. I felt the joy of a wonderful visit that ended with my son staying not only on the same continent, but nearby in the same state! Perspective is everything.

Dear Father,

Thank you for your many blessings and the way that you care for every detail of our lives. I thank you for your grace and mercy. I thank you for the opportunities you gave Dillon this summer to know you more and to help others do the same.  Thank you for the eighteen years you allowed us to share daily life with him. He is moving on with the vision for his life that you have placed on his heart, and we ask you to bless and protect him on his way to accomplish your will in this world.