Students from McCallie School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, discuss the viral video on 'Fox & Friends.'

So many experiences in life are things you can never prepare for adequately, no matter how many books you read or classes you attend or people you talk to. One of those experiences is watching your first child graduate high school, choose her college and eventually leave home. 

This is what has caused me to pick up the pieces of my broken heart that is somehow so full of joy but also in shards at my feet because how do you possibly prepare for such a moment?

When I had my first child, Grace, I caught my breath the first time I saw her. Like many moms, that first time I saw my baby was overwhelming and the love I felt became an all-consuming fire. How could she be so perfect and so tiny? My heart felt like it was literally outside of my body. 

To parents whose children have not left home yet, don’t waste a moment with them. (iStock)

And then I blinked. 

BUILDING YOUR ADVENTURE: CIA VETERAN SHARES AN INSPIRING STORY ABOUT COURAGE WITH GRADUATES

We visited a few colleges and universities over the past several months, and she eventually narrowed the options to two – both of which I loved, but one was clearly my favorite.........

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