My wife and I will soon be, in the parlance of parenting, empty nesters .

It’s a term I’ve decided to reject.

I’ve been rejecting a lot of things lately, if I’m being honest.

Things like the fact that my youngest son – who approximately 15 minutes ago was a warm, burping bean slung tenderly over my shoulder – is now an adult human, both prepared for and (rudely) excited to head to college.

And the simple fact that I played a small part in raising two remarkable additions to humanity , and the “they live among us” portion of that job is done. How is that possible? It was a blink. It was a marathon that unfolded like a sprint. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Taking my youngest child to college is a chapter's end

I want to reject the reality of the moment –

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