Preparing To Let Go

My son will enter high school this week.  Wait a minute . . . is that really possible?  What happened to my sweet baby boy who I used to rock and sing to in the middle of the night?

I have such a mix of emotions with this milestone; I’m so happy he’s growing into such a phenomenal young man, but I’m also sad to let go of the ability to protect him from everything bad in the world. I used to be able to give him mommy hugs and everything was ok.
 He would hold my hand as we walked to pre-school, kindergarten, first grade and second. I was his everything and I relished those times because I knew that they would go by in the blink of an eye.  And I was right.

Fortunately my son has always wanted to include me in his life. But I also know that my role as his mother will take on a new dimension this year as he becomes a young man.
 I’m preparing to let go of my son, and it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. Protecting him from the evils of the world will soon be out of my control.

I will always support his dreams, but now they will be his dreams for himself, not mine.  So, the process of letting go is beginning.  I will embrace these next four years with a passion, as I know they will go flying by.  I’ll cram in as many mommy hugs as I can get, and hope that he allows me to share as much of his life as possible.  Most importantly, I’ll live in the present, appreciating each moment as it comes.