Leaving Home

Leaving Home by Katie Armiger

I put the locket that you game me in a shoebox
With all my favorite high school pictures in a Ziplock
So when I think I'm by myself I know that I'm not

Thanks for the extra cash
Please take good care of dad
And I promise you I'll call along the way

Mama, don't you cry
I'm moving on, but this ain't goodbye
We might be miles apart, I'll carry you in my heart
I'll send you kisses on the phone
But mama, I'm leaving home

In only four months, I’ll be coming home for Christmas
I bet that all the time will fly, you know how it does.
Maybe I’ll go and find a nice guy and fall in love
I’ll do my best to make you proud
Keep my room the same for now
Just in case these big ol’ dreams don’t work out

Mama, don’t you cry
I’m moving on, but know this ain’t goodbye
We might be miles apart, I’ll carry you in my heart
I’ll send you kisses on the phone
But mama, I’m leaving home

We knew this day would come
And as bad as we wanna hold on
We both know it’s time to let go (let go)

Mama, don’t you cry
I’m moving on, but know this ain’t goodbye
Mama, don’t you cry
I’m moving on, but know this ain’t goodbye
We might be miles apart, I’ll carry you in my heart
I’ll send you kisses on the phone
But mama, I’m leaving home
I’m leaving home
I’m leaving home

I played this song on my ipod for my mom on her birthday with some senior pictures she has not seen of me before. It brought tears to both of our eyes because I think it hit both of us that the day we thought would never get here is so much closer then we think. Less than 3 months really. I can remember thinking I would never get to my senior year, now its here and the reality that I will be moving out on my own this summer is really begining to sink in. The fact I won't see my mom and dad everyday, the fact that I have my own place to take care of, the fact I've grown up. Moving out is going to be extremely hard on both my mom and I because we have done everything together. She never misses games, we spent many weekends at tournaments, late night practices and after I leave she won't have that anymore and neither will I. I will be extremely emotional on graduation day just because I know how hard it is going to hit my mom.
As I look at places to live and begin buying things for it it will build up immensely in my mind. I have already been accepted into Texas A&M and that reality has already passed but all the things that come with going to college have not set in. A lot of times I wonder just how am I going to be able to handle all of it by myself.