Curry. As in … "curry"

One of these people is trying not to cry. Can you guess which?

It takes but a tiny gesture to turn a mom's frown upside-down.

When I got back from Stop & Shop this evening, I checked my email and lo! son Kevin had sent me a summary of his weekend at college so far. He already has a posse of friends, mostly girls (no raised eyebrows; Kevin is one of those guys with tons of girl friends, as opposed to girlfriends), and has gotten to know guys on his dorm floor. Says he has been busy every minute. And, so sweet: He assured me he is choosing a healthy diet. "I'm actually eating an apple as we speak."

Looking back at the entrance road to Curry College from the main green.

A twisting, bumpy high school path brought Kevin to Curry, a small private college in Milton, Mass., seven miles from downtown Boston. He applied there almost as an afterthought, in February. We visited in April on Accepted Students Day and liked what we saw, including small classes, a very active and congenial Communications Department (his probable major), and lots of support for students with learning disabilities and ADD. Also, a beautiful campus.

Families pull their cars up to the freshman dorms.


We arrived Friday morning at said campus for freshman move-in. The weather gods blessed us with a crisp, sunny day and low humidity, and a team of burly student-athletes quickly transferred Kevin's bags and duffels to his new home. His window is on the first floor at far right.

Roommate Luke has been on campus for two weeks, attending preseason football practices, so the room was already well organized. We had Kevin's side unpacked and fixed up in a jiffy.


I was happy to learn that the bathroom is one door away and the unit's Resident Assistant (upperclass student), an affable guy named Chris, lives directly across the hall. The room itself is small but efficient. Guys have so much less STUFF than girls, anyway.


The academic quad includes the library (left) and classroom buildings.

We were on campus most of the afternoon, minus a hop over to Braintree for lunch and a few more dorm items from Bed Bath & Beyond. What a beautiful place Curry is.

The new student center is the gem of the campus. It houses the cafeteria, basketball gym, fitness center, mail room, campus store, and offices for various activities; and is located midway between north and south campuses.

An outdoor barbecue ended the day for most of the freshman families.

Yes, I miss my youngest child. I even miss the sight of him sprawled on the couch in front of the television. I miss his dry sense of humor and his compassion. But he's only 55 minutes away. It's Kevin's turn to start the next chapter of his life, this time on his own. The kid is all right. And his mom will be, too.

Back at home, alone with Daisy, I tried to focus on the beauty all around me, like this sailboat returning to its berth in Brushneck Cove, complete with seagull honor guard.