Nothing is clearer to me than the importance of raising children to become independent adults. And, as a parent, there is nothing more bittersweet. My daughter just graduated from college, and will turn 22 years old next week. For her graduation, we put together a DVD of photos beginning with her birth and ending with those we had taken right before she graduated. I'll be honest: I wept a lot during the process. It was just yesterday that she was born. At least that's how it feels. And today, she's an independent young woman living in a different State from us, doing research for "Autism Speaks" and looking for a full time job. When we talk on the phone, she's happy and funny and sweet. She misses us but not too much. We miss her a lot. But we did our job. We created a person who is independent: emotionally balanced, financially resourceful, well-rounded in her interests, and in healthy relationships with her family and friends. It is wonderful to see her blossom. And painful to let her go. It has been a job that I have enjoyed more than any other. I look forward to seeing where our adult relationship leads us. And (quite honestly) to the times when she'll still need a hug from Mommy, or a favorite home-cooked meal.