<p>jollymon, I can relate. My daughter attended the small high school where I teach, and it hit me hard when she left for a college six time zones away, because it seemed like a triple loss–she was no longer at home, no longer popping into my classroom, and her fabulous group of friends all went their separate ways as well. They were really an amazing bunch of kids, and any of my colleagues would say that they added a wonderful enthusiasm and excitement to our school that is missing without them. Almost all of them came back for Christmas, and it was great. All I can say is that I eventually got used to it, and there are actually some things about the empty nest that I like. And daughter is happy, happy, happy, excited about the things she is learning and the friends she is making. It was time for her to move to the next phase of her life, and she was ready for it even if I wasn’t quite ready when it happened.</p>