YOLO…You Only Live Once. It was a phrase I heard constantly at camp. Campers shouted it before diving into the ocean, learning a new dance, or speaking to a new friend. In those moments, YOLO became a call to overcome fear, shyness, embarrassment, or that dreaded feeling of being…awkward. Of course, the phrase could also be used in another way. Sometimes YOLO became an excuse for a reckless choice, a decision made without considering the consequences or how it might affect someone else. The same words, but a completely different meaning.

I stood outside my daughter’s freshman dorm yesterday morning, kissed her on her head, gave her a brief blessing, and watched as she strolled back into her new home in a city and state far from Los Angeles. That moment came at the end of a few very long, but joyous and exciting days, as Julia and I traveled with her (and many suitcases) by plane across the country, loaded up an extremely large SUV, drove to her college town, and then transformed a shoebox of a dorm room into a beautifully decorated palace fit for her and her roommate. As we pulled away yesterday, Julia and I smiled at each other and on the drive to the airport, we shared milestone moments from Ella’s eighteen years of life. With a few tears of joy, we celebrated the ‘launching’ of our eldest daughter, excited for all the adventures still to come.