"It's amazing how much my father learned in the four years I went to college." Mark Twain

Nish - very good points.

Christine,
You're splitting with her father and moving. Teenagers are difficult even in the best of times. She won't like changes unless they're on her terms.

When a newborn cries the sound reaches through your chest and grasps your spine and screams "Do something!" It's what we are that makes us react to another's distress.

You're Mom. You care about your daughter. It's built in at the factory. It's also built in at the factory that she will start to assert her independence. You want to protect her but life has other plans. She'll grow up. Often they grow up in spite of us.

You also find that loving, even when it hurts, is better than not loving.

So you "feel her pain." Sounds like a good mom to me.

Tom