The Sky is Falling... No Wait, That's My Daughter!

Suddenly vying for top three on my lifetime list of least expected phone calls is the one my wife and I received yesterday from our daughter off at college (her freshman year):

"Mom, Dad, I went skydiving this afternoon."

I suppose there are many less positive ways of ramming home the point that she's an adult now and will make her own decisions... but this one is right up there.

It was a strange brew of emotions for a few hours there: shock, pride, fear, delight, curiosity, relief, envy, disorientation, joy and the finally, the empathetic realization that all she really did was to take some cues from us. (My wife used to show-jump horses; she broke her arm. I used to climb big, gnarly, crevasse-ridden mountains and ride my bike fast in heavy traffic; I've stared down several icy abysses... and homicidal drivers).

Mostly I'm just happy... that she is. Isn't that all any parent ever wants?