It is inevitable. The darling little babies you hold, cuddle, love, and protect with all your being, grow up. As parents, you may not like it, but it cannot be stopped. It is the equivalent of a freight train in motion: once it gets going, there is no stopping it.
In our home, we truly had to accept that our eldest was ready to fly. In August, he left home and headed out into the great beyond to begin his venture and adventure into adulthood. Ok....in reality, he left for college, but it is pretty much the same thing. He is no longer under our roof. He is no longer under our wings...he is flying without a net, at least for the most part, for the first time in his life.
When he left for college, I expected to be hysterical. Everyone told me I would be a wreck. The truth? I was excited for him. He was ready and, if I am being completely honest, so were we. Perhaps it is the only child in me...I was raised to be independent and I believe he is just enough like me to have that same independent streak. I knew he would take what he needed from us and figure the rest out on his own. Two months in, he is doing exactly that.
It did take awhile for our household to acclimate to being down one member....not to mention one additional driver! We all mourned the loss of the day to day interactions with him...parents, siblings, and even dogs...but life goes on.
Like it or not, we all learn and grow. While he is learning and growing on his own, we are learning and growing right along with him. Learning to let go. Learning to worry just a little less with each passing weekend. Learning to adjust to a smaller family size, knowing that he will probably never live at home again for more than just a few weeks or months.
It is all part of the process...the circle of life, so to speak. He is doing well. He has struggles, but, again, that is part of growing up. He is making new friends and has joined a fraternity, thus giving him a new "family". I do not worry it will replace us, but it is one step closer to his future as an adult: finding his own network and support system...individuals who are there by choice, not by biology.
As for the rest of us...life goes on and we all keep moving forward. It seems like the clock speeds up the older the children get....although I guess perhaps I should adjust that very statement as we really no longer have children...a kid, a teenager, and a young adult.
Just for a moment I would like to freeze time...but only for a moment. As parents, this is our job: raising individuals who are ready to fly. We do not have to like it, but it does not make it any less real.
Fly, baby fly. Know we are here to catch you, but the world is yours for the taking....make the most of it.
