On Your Side of Letting Go

There's several people in my life this week.

That are in the thick of  letting go.

Letting go because their first kid is leaving for college.

Or letting go because the their last kid is leaving for college.

I remember it well.

Nothing about it felt right.

It was loss of their physical presence.

Even the loss of their dependence.

It was letting go of routines.

And their faces at the table.

Letting go of what was our normal.

And exchanging it for something that was completely not.

                             
A few years have passed.

And I'm on the other side now.

I did my share of mourning.

Not for the loss of  the relationships, of course.

But something.

Not as easy to describe.

Scott seemed to take it more in stride.

We definitely worked through it differently.

He was more matter of fact and accepting.

Me?   Not so much.

It took some time.

But.

On the other side.

I adjusted.

I re-defined how I looked at my life.

My girls and I each did the same.

We fell into a new relationship with each other.

As adult daughter and mama.

That had to happen too.

On this side.

I found new interests.

I invested in other people.

I found a new routine.

Enjoying time to do the things I love.

Following no one else's schedule.

Picking back up some things I had long since put down.

It was different.

But still good.

Thankfully.

I've watched and listened and thought about my friends this week.

In the thick of this season of parenting.

It's sweet and sad and unsettling change.

But you'll figure it out too.

It will be okay.

On your side of letting go.