What I learned from my son’s missing college bed

This is a picture of my son's fraternity room when I dropped him off at college.

Where is his bed? 😂

Move-in day did not go the way I imagined. Walking into that empty room, I started spiraling:

Where is he going to sleep?
What kind of mom leaves her kid without a bed?
What will the other moms think?

I felt like everything was falling apart.

But my son? He was completely fine.

While I'm thinking about all the ways this is a disaster, he's thinking:

I'm pumped to be back.
I don't care when the mattress comes.
I can sleep anywhere!

That's when it hit me—I was the one freaking out. Not him.

🦋 He didn't think a missing bed was a crisis.
🦋 He learned that not everything in life happens on schedule.
🦋 He figured out where to sleep.
🦋 He managed the delivery around his classes.
🦋 He even learned how to assemble a bed without me hovering.

After caring for our babies for so many years, stepping into an adult relationship with them isn't easy.

But it is possible when you shift your focus from making things “perfect” right now to preparing them for what’s ahead.

Here's what you don't see in this photo:

✨ We had the best time shopping together at Target.
✨ We put the rest of his room together peacefully.
✨ He proudly introduced me to his friends and shared stories about his first night back.

Our goodbye was heartfelt—not stressed. ✨

For me, building a lasting connection where he wants to share his life matters more than having every detail perfect.

I don't want to trade that for a well-made bed.

Do you?

🧡 Jeanine