And he’s off!

There have been so many firsts about which I have not written. Plenty of anxious and proud tears over the past decade.

Today Casey heads off to visit his birth family. Without us. Or any adult.

I was able to get an escort pass so I stood with him in a very crowded airport while I waited for him to board. I didn’t feel sad. Or overwhelmed by an inexplicable lump in my throat like I sometimes am with “firsts.” No tears.

I feel some nervousness. But mostly relief with a tinge if worry.

I hope he has fun.

But I hope he misses us, too.

UPDATE: (12:55pm)

So promptly after writing this and proceeding to work, I began using airline tracker software to watch his plane zoom across the United States. So I know he’s landed.

As soon as I saw he’d landed, I wondered, “Why hasn’t he called or texted yet?”  And I immediately texted him. No reply. Yet.