Last week, I spoke to my mom over the phone for the first time in a while—that while being at least a few weeks.

I told her how I was doing and we talked briefly, catching up with each other.

Towards the end of the conversation, we confided in each other about how much we truly missed each other and when I was going to have time to come home again and visit her.

I have rarely talked to or visited her this year. And although it isn’t an excuse, taking 18 credit hours and having four campus jobs definitely keeps me busy and distracted from missing anything or anyone—like my mom.

I can tell that this year has been harder on her. Last year, I called almost every day and came home every few weekends. This year though, it is the complete opposite, and I know it has been much harder on her.

I know my mother is proud of me for everything I am doing and accomplishing here at Eastern, but I also know she misses me dearly, and I know she selfishly (and understandably) wants me to call and visit her more often.

I am growing older and maturing more and more each day, transitioning from adolescence to adulthood. And while this does mean leaving the nest and creating a new life for yourself, it can still be hard on your parent(s) (if this is in the plural form for you, that is really awesome, and you are very lucky).

They’ve taken care of you for nearly the last two decades of your life, if not longer than that for many people—so when you go off to college, they miss you. A lot.

And you’ll miss them, just like I miss my mom.

So, take time out of your day and call them every now and then—more than just once every few weeks.

Call them just because you want to—not because you need to borrow some gas money or because you need your social security number for an application or because you need to know how long your leftovers are good for—call them simply to talk.

And visit them. Visit them often, because soon (if not already), you’re going to be out of the house for good, and you’ll wish you had visited your parents more when you had the opportunities.

I know I started this column confessing that I have barely talked to my mom this year, but I’m starting to try and make a point to truly practice what I preach (and I preach a lot in these columns), so I’m going to take some of my own advice and talk to my mom more often, because I know she misses me incredibly.

And if I’m being honest, I miss her incredibly, too.

College is hard for students—but it’s hard for parents too, because they have to watch their kids leave and enter a new chapter—a chapter in which they make significantly less appearances in.

So, call your parents—they miss you. Let them know you love them. 

And I will, too.

Natalee Reynolds is a sophomore English and creative writing major. She can be reached at 581-2812 or at nmreynolds@eiu.edu.