A Christmas Reflection for Mothers

A Christmas Reflection for Mothers

With one son a sophomore in high school, and another son a sophomore in college and in all likelihood never returning to live under our roof, I think about how fast the time has gone.

I recently searched for family photos for a project I was working on, and as I did, the years raced through my mind. Didn’t we bring them home from the hospital yesterday? It seemed like just a few days ago they learned to walk, talk, and ride a bike. How is it possible that our oldest is quickly approaching the launch into his career and our youngest is preparing to apply to college?

Maybe you’ve never done this, and maybe it’s just me, but I suddenly became very insecure in my mothering.

Sending a Child Out

Sending a Child Out

I had no idea how hard it would be to watch him walk away. In all the years of raising my son, I never thought about how painful it would be when he left home. A delight in our home, and the maker of many a “family chuckle,” his mere presence would be deeply missed as he began a new life 1500 miles from home.

This.

This is what we’ve raised him for, for the last 19 years: to give him wings to not only fly (figuratively and literally in his case as he pursues a career as a pilot), but to soar. To follow the dream God instilled in his heart, and watch him make his way in the world.

But…