From the first moments of their lives, they went straight into my arms and an instant and irrational bond of love has kept them close through all of their growing up years. There is part of me that wants to hold on tightly but I know we have to let go. Though we have been down this path several times before…it’s still hard to say ‘goodbye’.
Christian singer / song writer, Michael W. Smith has written a song that captures what these moments are like for a mom and dad.
Tell me when the time we had slipped away
Tomorrow turned to yesterday and I don't know how
Tell me what can stop this river of tears
It's been building up for years for this moment now
Here I stand, arms open wide
I've held you close, kept you safe, till you could fly
Tell me why, why does following your dreams
Take you far away from me; and I knew that it would
Tell me how to fill the space you left behind
And how to laugh instead of cry and how to say goodbye
As a dad I am excited for the opportunities that lie ahead of each of our children; Janice and I are their biggest cheerleaders. I pray the words of the Apostle Paul into the lives of my kids during this season of their journey: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:9-11)
While we miss having them around the house, we also understand that ‘letting go’ is part of our parental responsibilities. In going, we know that they will come back again and again to share their stories; their joys and triumphs, their sorrows and challenges. We also know that our role as parents is a life-long commitment; a commitment we joyfully accept…but, it’s still hard to say ‘goodbye’!