No matter how much you prepare, letting go is never easy. The late Erma Bombeck likened the parenting responsibility to flying a kite. You start by trying to get the little craft off the ground, and sometimes you wonder if it's going to make it. You're running down the road as fast as you can with this awkward kite flapping in the wind behind you. Sometimes it crashes to the ground, so you tie on a longer tail and try it again. Suddenly it catches a little gust of wind and flies dangerously close to the power lines. Your heart is pounding as you survey the risk. But then without warning, the kite begins to tug on the string as it ascends into the sky. You release your grip little by little, and sooner than you expected, you come to the end of the twine. You stand on tiptoe holding the last inch between your thumb and forefinger. Then reluctantly, you let go, permitting the kite to soar unfettered and independent in God's blue heaven.
It's an exhilarating and a terrifying moment, and one that was ordained from the day of your child's birth. With this final release, your task as a parent is finished. The kite is free, and so, for the first time in twenty years, are you.
My prayers will be with you as you discharge your God-given responsibility. Cherish every moment of it. And hug your kids while you can. I hope something I have written on these pages has been helpful to you and yours. Thanks for reading along with me.
IT'S TOUGH ON A DOG
By Jean W. Sawtell
It's tough on a dog when his boy grows up,
When he no longer romps and frolics like a pup.
It's tough on a dog when his boy gets old,
When they no longer cuddle on his bed when it's cold.
It's tough on a dog when his boy gets tall,
When he's off with the boys playing soccer and baseball.
They no longer paddle through the mud in the bog,
Hoping to find a stray turtle or frog.
They no longer run through the grass up to their knees,
Or roll in the piles of fresh fallen leaves.
It's tough on a dog when his boy gets tall,
When's he's off to school, looking at girls in the hall.
It's tough on a dog when he has work to do,
When he forgets to play as he used to.
It's tough on a dog when instead of the woods or field
or pond,
His boy becomes a man—and the man is gone.
Book: Bringing Up BoysBy Dr. James Dobson