Oh, it could be so much worse! What if they were overseas?

Pretty much everyone in my family, and my adopted (married) family has had to deal with serious geographical separation loss. It's painful. But be glad you live in the age of jets, email and digital photography!

And, I'd say, try to play it as cool as possible, because as much as she may love you, your daughter may feel a little like she wants to escape you to see who she is. As long as you make her homeplace more like comforting, and less like smothering, the more likely it is that she will spend more time there, either visiting, or living.

(not that I'm accusing you! It's just a pretty common thing.)

One word: webcam.

Think of how much fun it will be next time there is a visit!

Taz, you are right, and I KNOW she needs to do it. Heaven knows I needed to, and did, at that age. But I've never had to deal with missing a grandbaby before.

I AM used to being far apart from a child-my son hasn't lived here for years (He's in Colorado) and I only get to see him once or twice a year. One does get used to it, and with computers and cell phones it isn't that bad.

NEXT month my other daughter goes to Texas till February. (She lives with us right now.) I've never had the experience of all three of them out of town. I don't know whether to bawl or huzzah.