• Moving my daughter hundreds of miles away to Chicago brought both pride and heartache. • I'm glad she is independent and starting over in a new city, but the distance is painful. • I've learned that joy and grief can coexist in family transitions.

Earlier this month, I packed up my daughter's house, where she lived for three years with her best friends from college, and drove a U-Haul over 700 miles to Chicago. We unloaded her furniture, unpacked boxes, set up her new space, and hugged goodbye. Then I headed to the airport for the long trip home without her.

I was bursting with pride: My 25-year-old had landed an internal transfer at her company, seized the opportunity to try out life in a brand-new city, and took a bold leap into adulthood.

But as soon as I left her, the other fe

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