We Can Do Hard Things

How G’s Surviving Her Baby Leaving

Sep 30, 2025
The hosts dive into the emotional journey of dropping a child off at college, discussing the bittersweet nature of parenting older kids. Topics include the delicate balance of sharing their kids' stories while respecting their privacy, and the unique grief experienced during move-in day. They reflect on the lessons learned from gap years and the shifts in family dynamics. With humor and honesty, they explore the longing, excitement, and complex feelings that come with watching children grow into adulthood.
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ANECDOTE

Tish’s Goodbye Request

  • Tish told her parents exactly how she wanted the goodbye handled: no crying in the room but a video of them crying in the car.
  • Glennon found this orchestration both controlling and wise, and it shaped their departure.
ANECDOTE

Sanitizing Wipes As Parental Ritual

  • Parents at the dorms obsessively wiped down rooms with sanitizing wipes as a symbolic, helpless act of love and protection.
  • Glennon realized the cleaning was a shared, futile ritual that made parents feel like they were doing something useful.
INSIGHT

The Core Ache: We Will Leave Each Other

  • Glennon names a central human ache: the knowledge that we will leave each other, which explains intense parental grief.
  • She calls college drop-off a rehearsal for the ultimate separation we all face.
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