Within Arm's Reach?

I was pondering this evening on how I can get my hands on expert advice on raising a young adult. I don't have any other friends with a child of this age. Then, I quickly corrected myself and realized that I am not raising one. She's done. She's raised. What I need to know is how to support her in a "motherly" way so that she feels the ownership of her life, and so that I still feel like I have some kind of say on her choices in life, to prevent her from making really bad ones. Like tonight's situation. From the minute Crystal got here this Friday afternoon, she spent every second with Isabela and me. As we hung out, she shared with me her academic progress and her personal life issues (that she swore me to secrecy to). Then, as soon as Sammy got here, we left to watch a movie (The Women). It was great, awesome, fun....I got to cuddle with her and she kindly renounced herself from her friends' text messages and gave me her every piece of attention. In the end, once I went to bed, I knew she would end up going out to meet friends, to celebrate Glenda's birthday. That's all ok, but what got me is the way she tried to leave. It has become so natural for her to just walk out of her place of residence and say "see you later!" to her roommate. However, I stopped her before she walked out of our bedroom and asked her where she was headed. She said "I don't know yet. But when I do, I will text you. Love you!". NO WAY! Well, I did not say that to her, but wanted to. That's just it, I didn't know what the right words were. The right words to satisfy my worry, but most importantly, the right words that would not violate her newfound freedom. I have to be realistic here, I can't scare her away from coming home as often as she has been. I can't screw that up. Hmmmm....I need advice here. The best thing that I came up with is "You really do have to tell me where you will be. You don't have to ask me for permission, but I do need to know where you will be." As a second line of defense, I continued with "Please take my car." Although her car is pretty brand new, my car has tinted windows, auto-lock, auto windshield wipers, rear view camera and it's higher off the ground. I especially insisted because I know my car is one of the most reliable cars out there. That's the best I came up with, to hand her the best tools in my shed, and rely on those other tools that I have always tried to instill in her.

I trust her. I just have a hard time trusting everyone else around her.

Ultimately, I know it's in God's hands.

Crystal, I hope I am being that person you need me to be...I love you so.

(by the time I got to the end of this post, Glenda called and said the gang wanted to come here to hang instead! At least I got my practice for the next round. But, seriously, I am welcoming any advice on this one.)

Gotta go, Crystal has invited me to hang out with the gals downstairs!!