We celebrated a new milestone in my family this week: my daughter started High School.

I can’t quite get used to the idea.

It was dark and humid at 6 am on Monday when she slung her new, red and black plaid backpack over her shoulder and strolled out the door, her size double-zero skinny jeans and short sleeved t-shirt the perfect outfit for a school day.  As she climbed into the car for my husband to drive her to the bus stop, I tried not to pay attention to the tight, uncomfortable ache in my stomach, that Mommy protectiveness that always intervenes at such moments.

I knew she was nervous.  I didn’t want to let her to see that I kind of was, too.  I wanted to be excited for her, to encourage her to stretch her teenage wings and to seize the opportunities ahead.  I smiled, waved, wished her a great day, and watched them pull out of the drive.

When they’d gone, I hugged Kai, our cat, who’d brushed against my legs and started meowing for attention.  My daughter had chosen Kai from the kitties at the humane society and had picked out his name.  The same daughter who’d started High School.  My sweet little girl, who loved snuggling in bed to read storybooks together, making up adventures with her stuffed toys, and racing our previous cat around in her toy wagon, was now going to a school of more than 3,000 students.  In just a few years, she’ll be graduating and moving away to start college.  She’s already talked about perhaps attending university in England.

I know, growing up is the natural process of life, but still . . .

All day Monday, I tried not to worry about the things that could go wrong for her: forgetting her locker combination; being late for class because she’d got lost trying to navigate the new campus; misplacing a textbook she needed for an important assignment.  What if she got on the wrong bus to come home?

I remind myself that my daughter’s a smart, independent, resourceful young woman.  A large group of her pals from middle school are going to this high school, so she has people to rely on, when necessary.  She’s already making new friends, being introduced to fresh ideas and ways of learning, and being encouraged to develop new talents.  She’s going to be fine.

More than fine.

But I still can’t quite get used to the idea.

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Did you experience any milestones, large or small, in your life in the past few months?  Are you looking forward to milestones coming up soon?   Leave a comment, and I’ll pick one winner who will receive a copy of my award-winning medieval romance My Lady’s Treasure.

To read an excerpt from this novel, please visit my website.