“Hey Jill its __I am now home for ever:”   This was the message on my Facebook Wall from our daughter’s future apartment mate yesterday. After eight years away at her boarding school, she has returned to resume/begin her new life in her hometown. The joy inherent in those few words is palpable. In a week and a half, that will be our daughter too. Home for ever? Home is the operative word.

A Tentative Schedule Has Arrived: I just received the daily schedule of activities for our daughter starting July 1. Ability Beyond Disability breaks it down into three groupings: Day Support Option; Individualized Day Supports; Individualized Home Supports.

Day Support Options: A variety of group activities focused on skill building and community integration. ( I will write in more detail on what this encompasses later.)

Individualized Day Supports; Person-centered and focused on volunteer or work opportunities. (More later.)

Individualized Home Supports: Person-centered and related to building skills of independent living and includes recreational activities as well. (Ditto.)

While still at home and awaiting the residential piece, our daughter will be at one or the other of these programming activities five days a week from approximately 9-3p.m. starting the first week in July.

New Lingo, New Everything: I am feeling like everything is suddenly moving very quickly. I have the weirdest sensation that I have to hold on tightly to my daughter or she will be swept up in this world, and I won’t get to see her. But I don’t think my feeling is different from that of any parent who sees a new phase of their child’s “adulthood” sweeping across the plains. Bittersweet. Always a bit of loss in parenting, isn’t there?

We the parents, are off for the weekend. Until Monday, adios.

©Jill Edelman, M.S.W, L.C.S.W. 2011