• Last year, my son decided not to come home from college for Thanksgiving. • This year, he's staying on campus again because finals are too close. • I'm not mad because my husband and I now fly out to California to visit him for Thanksgiving.

This is my son's sophomore year at a university more than 1,000 miles from our home. While it was initially a tough transition to send our only child away, the empty nest pangs are not nearly as bad now. I only misted up a tad during drop-off this August, instead choosing to focus on how happy he is — and on all of his academic and personal growth.

Maybe that's why I didn't mind much when my son told me he didn't want to come home for Thanksgiving last year — and when he told me he wanted to skip the holiday again this year.

His decision actua

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