Wednesday, February 19, 2014

The Kindness of Helping Us with the Letting Go

"All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on."
― Havelock Ellis

In the past few days, my children have been in situations where I would love to be with them, but haven't been able to.  Enter those wonderful moms who understand.

During a school field trip, one mom sent me photos of my son.  It made my day as I was disappointed that I could not join him on the field trip.

In another situation, a mother whom I have just met texted me to say that she had seen my child having a great time.

Letting go, which we as parents must do, is not easy.  Whether it is the first day of preschool or going off to college, those moments are part of parenthood.  But knowing what we have to do does not always make the doing it easier.  Connecting us to our children through images caught on phone cameras or quick text messages is a kindness that not only lets us know that our children are happy and well, but also tells us that others understand and want to help.  I have found that kindness to be as steadying as the hand that holds me up when I stumble.  Sometimes we need to hold on as we navigate the letting go.

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