Spring Break at Disney

To Let Go

My little boy, Cade, turns 5 this week. I look at him and no longer see the little baby or toddler that he was, but a big boy that now has taken his place. Although he will always be my baby, I know that I need to let go of the notion of treating him like my baby and allow him to grow up some. This was much easier to do with Connor and Kayleigh as I knew they were not the last I would experience those "firsts" with.

I remember the first time Connor lost a tooth. He was so excited when he found a letter from the "tooth fairy" under his pillow and money to spend. Now that he personally knows this tooth fairy it is not quite the same when he loses his teeth and with only 2 more to lose, I know pretty soon that part of his childhood will be gone.

Kayleigh's first day to take the bus will always be so memorable for me. She looked so excited as she stepped up to get on the big yellow school bus. Of course when she came back home I had not expected her to run to me with tears in her eyes saying that the bus was too loud with too many kids on it! It took some coaxing to get her back on, but she soon grew to love her bus driver and all the other kids on the bus.

And so this week it was time to take the training wheels off of Cade's bike. This first for me was a little bit harder knowing it gave him that extra step towards independence, but his enthusiasm was contagious and so off we went to explore the new world of two-wheel riding. It seemed like I really didn't need to hold on to him for long, and as soon as I let go he was flying solo down the street with a grin on his face and shouts of joy as he said "I'm doing it! I'm doing it!" I knew he could. I just needed to let go.

On Letting Go

To "let go" does not mean to stop caring.
It means I can't do it for someone else.

To "let go" is not to cut myself off.
It's the realization that I can't control another.

To "let go" is to admit powerlessness,
which means the outcome is not in my hands, but in God's.

To "let go" is not to try to change or blame another.
It's to make the most of myself and let God make the changes.

To "let go" is not to care for, but to care about.

To "let go" is not to fix, but to be supportive.

To "let go" is not to be in the middle, arranging all the outcomes,
but to allow others to affect their own destinies.

To "let go" is not to deny, but to accept.

To "let go" is not to nag, scold, or argue,
but instead to search out my own shortcomings and correct them.

To "let go" is not to adjust everything to my desires,
but to take each day as it comes and cherish myself in it.

To "let go" is not to regret the past, but to grow and live for the future.

To "let go" is to fear less and to love more.