Traveling Together

I've never been here before. In this uncharted territory of parenting a new adult.
So, as I always do when facing the unfamiliar, I tried to arm myself with knowledge.
I found a book.
I think I expected the road to divide...She would go one way and We would go another...right about the intersection of YR 19 and College Drive.  
But then I learned there's a whole other state we get to travel through first.
It's called The Land of Emerging Adulthood.
Emerging adulthood is "a phase of the life span between adolescence and full-fledged adulthood."  And the more I learn about it, the more our new landscape makes sense.  It is "the age of explorations, the age of instability, the age of being self-focused, and the age of possibilities."
Basically, she needs me now more than ever.
Just in a different capacity.
Instead of driving the car, I'm more like an encouraging friend along for the ride.  My job is to share in her excitement as she explores new things, and maybe...sometimes...comment on the scenery.  Oh yeah, and pay for things like gas.  I'm here for security and companionship.
So when she changes her major, I just nod and smile.
And when she gushes over and then complains about her new friends, I just listen.
And when she gets a speeding ticket, I just say, "It happens to the best of us." And then watch in wonder as my responsible girl pays it out of her own checkbook.
And when she grumbles about having to go to work, I just pat her on the back and say, "Welcome to the world of Grown-ups."
And when she lets me ride to the ballgame with her (bc her job with the newspaper pays her mileage), I just enjoy the pleasure of being with her, my new friend.  We listen to music we both like and we laugh a lot.
And when she can't find her purse and she needs it to go to work and I calmly help her look until we find it, I just chuckle inside.
This road is pretty curvy and it winds back and forth like crazy between independence and neediness.
But I don't mind.
Cause for now, we're still traveling together.