I was reading my friend’s post about her daughter moving away to college.
It hit me hard as she wrote that she had done all she could to prepare her daughter to grow up and move away, and yet, she herself hand’t prepared her heart for WHEN her daughter moved away!
Cue the tears!
It’s so true.
Mama’s work hard day in and day out to teach their children how to grow and develop in every way, so that one day the child can leave the nest and grow on their own independently.
However, mother’s can never quite grasp the reality of their children not being under their own roof.
It’s hard to process.
Especially since, for most mothers, they cared for their babies while in the womb.
Then of course, they took care of their child as a helpless and innocent little baby, then a toddler, then a child, then a teenager, and then suddenly….. they are grown and on their own.
No my children are not grown up yet (and I am grateful).
However, my oldest son just turned 8 years old and I can tell you that was the fastest 8 years of my life!
I have watched time and time again how fast children grow up.
And yet, as a mother it seems that children truly do grow up faster than ever.
So can we really ever prepare our hearts for when our child grows up and moves away?
I don’t think so.
Because our job as a parent is to love and protect that child.
With that love and protecting, a separation of any sort is extremely difficult.
It always will be.
However, it’s what we know to be best for the child as well.
And perhaps, with high hopes, when that child is grown and moved out, they will call us mama’s up, and they too will miss us.
It will never be the same, but there will be that hope, that the child will understand, that their mama will never stop loving them, never stop guiding them, never stop encouraging them….because a mother will always be a mother.
Near or far, that mother will continue to shower their child with love.
So my hope for those that are dealing with their kids growing up and leaving their home, my hope is that that mama will know she is loved. And more so, that mama did all she was supposed to do, to help that child reach a level of independence that must take place for that child to grow.
The love never ends, no matter the age or the distance, mama will still have that mama heart that will always care for her children.
Always.
xoxo,
Christy Lee
