Today marks 8 days, 11 hours, and 54 minutes until my oldest will likely be dropped off in her dorm room. But hey, who’s counting? She’s still here in her room, so I can just walk right upstairs and find her there. More than likely, she’s sitting at her desk, in front of her beveled mirror with the brilliant lights, doing her make-up, or curled up on her bed with our finicky cat by her side.
Now, in all sincerity, it hasn’t been a straightforward road. The last couple of years have been, how do I say – wild, but she’s here. Home. I can hear her voice echoing down the hall, despite her daring claims to increase her curfew time or come alongside her with high-pitched squeals when one other package arrives for her dorm room. Her presence is on this place, just because it has been for the last eighteen years. At this very moment, I can hug her, refer to her, give her that side smile that tells her I’ll not at all times understand, but I really like her irrespective of what.
Yet here we’re! The countdown has begun, and pretty soon she’ll be spreading her wings and flying off to start out the subsequent chapter in her life. A chapter that comes with a “latest home” and the liberty to live without crazy boundaries and strict rules which were enforced on her by us, her loving, but doing one of the best we are able to, parents.
What now? What’s next? Maybe you end up on this season too? Trying to softly hold on, while being forced to joyfully (sniff, sniff) let go. How are we to arrange for all of this?
Well, as much as I wish I had the answers, what I do know is that this “right of passage” shouldn’t be for the faint of heart and comes with an enormous surge of huge emotions. So, let’s all collectively take a deep breath and understand it’s okay to wallow a bit within the sadness of all of it. It’s real. It’s sad. And it’s rather a lot, my friend. However, while flashbacks may include vengeance, let’s also attempt to take every thought captive and place our conflicted hearts at His feet (Psalm 55:22). Then let’s lean into a couple of truths that may allow us to send our babies (I mean, teenagers) off into this world with confidence!
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/XiXinXing
