Simply SOW: Strengthening Our Wings
Seriously, why did none of the moms who paved the way before me give me a heads up about these years? I clearly remember reading What to Expect When You are Expecting and What to Expect the First Year but what about the book “What to Expect When Your Babies are Ready to Fly” (and you AREN’T ready to let them go)??? The transition years of children crossing the bridge from kids to adults and leaving the nest. In my case, from boys to men!
These years on the parenting timeline have by far been the toughest for me to navigate. Talk about a major fork in the road of life. Oh sweet Jesus give me strength! It is in these years I have discovered that I am a closeted control freak. When I was in control of where they went, who they were with, and what they did that was comfortable to me. Losing that control or sense of control, because honestly I never had it, is way out of my comfort zone and complete unchartered territory.
My role as their mom has changed and I am learning, some days with lots of tears, to change with it. Letting go is so hard but trying to hang on is even harder. It’s as if I am in a boat floating in the middle of an unknown ocean with one oar in the water wanting to keep rowing and the other out of the water knowing it has to be taken out of my hands and given over to my “babies” to do their own rowing. For the love of letting go, this is not easy!
As a mom I don’t want to see my offspring fail, get hurt, and make mistakes. Intellectually I know they will and they must in order to learn, grow and write their own stories. In my mom heart I struggle with allowing them to do so. I’ve raised them with responsibilities, taught them to be independent, and dished out consequences all along the way, which I thought would make these letting go years easier, right? That would be a firm WRONG! The rollercoaster of emotions I’ve felt have flooded my being and left me with the big question, now what?
After I’ve done my job of raising them into responsible adults, it is time to nudge them out of the nest and watch them fly! As they begin to soar through the sky of adult life, I cannot begin to count the number of times I’ve uttered; “Jesus take the wheel”, “Let go and let God”, and “Faith over Fear”.
So moms like me in these transition years, here we are flocked together, letting our birdies fly and strengthening our wings where we too will soar in to our next chapter in life….WE’VE GOT THIS! We can do ALL things through Christ who gives us strength…and that includes letting our babies go so they can grow! We will continue to find joy in the memories of what was and hope in the anticipation of what is yet to come!
Shine bright,
Teresa