After Her Daughter Left For College, A Mom Takes A Cardboard Cut Out Of Her Everywhere To Keep Her Company
This mom has unlocked a coping hack to deal with her daughter’s absence.
@angiezumwalt / TikTok via Canva Witnessing your child transition from their years as an elementary schooler to entering high school is certainly memorable, but some might attest that there’s something about sending your child off to college that just hits differently.
On that note, it seems that one mom is learning this hard truth as she sends her own daughter off to college — luckily, she’s found quite the coping mechanism to take on this time full of mixed feelings.
A mom creates a cardboard cutout of her daughter to keep her company after sending her off to college.
Angie Zumwalt (@angiezumwalt) recently uploaded a wholesome TikTok video with on-screen text that read, “POV: When your daughter goes off to college, but you have her cardboard cutouts to keep you company!”
The comical clip featured Zumwalt and her “daughter” doing various activities together, such as grabbing the groceries, going on drives, eating at the dinner table, and tucking her daughter in bed at night.
Having a great sense of humor may be one of the best coping strategies to relieve certain stressors, and according to PsychCentral, utilizing humor can even prove to be an effective tool in improving different areas of one’s health. Still, there are moments when our emotions just hit all at once.
Sending a child off to college marks a significant transition in both the child's and their parent’s life.
The moment you squeeze your 18-year-old in your arms (who is forever a baby in your eyes) one last time before the first day of what will become a new chapter in their life, you’ll likely feel overcome with mixed emotions. Excitement, sadness, fear, and pride are the very ingredients of such bittersweet moments in our lives that make us look at the past and the future all at once — excitement for the opportunities that lie ahead and a swelling sense of pride in their accomplishments.
Photo: @angiezumwalt / TikTok
At the same time, parents must wave goodbye to their child's constant presence at home and greet the sense of loss and nostalgia that lingers. The empty room that now echoes, the all-too-quiet dinners, and the absence of a child's laughter — all of which are potent reminders of this change. Ultimately, all one can really do is reflect on the memories they've shared and the moments they'll miss.
This new transition marks a new world of opportunities for parents.
Though it may take some time to motivate oneself out of the grief of sending a child away to college, it’s always comforting to know that it does get easier.
Now that the kids are away, parents can have access to a newfound freedom to rediscover themselves and rekindle their own interests and passions; moreover, parents can focus more on their careers, strengthen relationships, or nurture personal growth, which may have taken a backseat all those years.
In the end, as parents watch their children embark on this exciting journey, they can take solace in the knowledge that they've prepared them well, and they can look forward to many wonderful opportunities. It's a bittersweet farewell, but it also marks the emergence of a new horizon ahead.
Xiomara Demarchi is a New York-based writer and frequent contributor for YourTango’s news and entertainment team. Keep up with them on Instagram.