Letting Go

They were little: crawling, babbling, teething, walking, sleeping, waking. First it was preschool, then elementary, off to middle school and finally into high school. Plays, concerts, classroom parties, volunteering, cub scouts, girl scouts, softball, karate, gymnastics, practice, soccer, swimming, art projects, science projects, religion, mock trials, honors classes, MUN, AP, IB, MSA, GPA, SAT’s, college applications and 18 years later …University.

It’s here, the time when they go. For some, our children left us a long time ago, for others its now and for the rest, it will be later. There will come that time when those little babies that we held in our hands will leave. A reel goes through my mind. Have I been the best parent I can be? Did I give them the tools that they will need to be able to live an honorable life? What insecurities I have did I pass onto them? Could I have done different? Will these questions have answers… some yes and some I will have to wait and find out. There is really no point in feeling bad about what could have been. As parents, we do the best we can under the circumstances we are in and what we knew best at that point in time. Can we learn from mistakes, sure we can, can we do different and be better parents now, of course!

Watching them go is as if they were birds, you feed them, take care of them, give them the nurture, love and support that they need and then you open your hands up to the sky, let them go and watch them fly away. You know that there will be hardships but there will also be opportunities.You pray they come back safe and sound and happy.

As a mother, I have given all that I can give and now it is time to see how far they can fly.

Nehal El Guindy