The hug was supposed to last for a very long time. I had no idea till when. I had dreaded this moment and it was here. No amount of anticipating what it would feel like had helped because it was just not what it was. My yet-to-be 18-year-old daughter was on her way to college all the way to the United States. It was her dream to secure a good scholarship and be able to study there. She had worked hard for it, and she deserved to go. But deep down my heart was a rollercoaster of emotions. It was the first time in 17 years that she was going…