And The End is Exit…..

The last letter in our word PREPARE is E for exit. It is true. One day, these precious little people that we have invested so many laughs, tears, energy and hugs into will leave our home and start their own. I would like to end this with a quote from Lysa TerKeurst in her book, “The Bathtub is Overflowing, But I Feeled Drained”:
“Our children are like that rainbow. They burst on the scene of our lives in such a way that you feel as though they they’ll be there forever. Their colorful personalities and bright expressions are shining reminders of God’s promises and miracles. They dance through their childhood, making lasting impressions on our hearts, and then the time comes for them to pull away. The colors of childhood will open for the last time, and that night, as surely as that child closes her eyes to sleep, the door will close. All the curious questions that drive you crazy today will cease. All the fingerprints and smudges will go away. All the childhood fantasies and dreams will fade. And her mother will wake the next morning to peer into the sky and wonder where the rainbow has gone.”

Yesterday, I did something very abnormal. I took Madison grocery shopping with me. Usually, I try to get this done while my kids are in school, but I had spent my day doing other things and it just could not wait any longer. So there we were. I was exhausted from having woken up at least one hour too early and Madi was her chatty little self (there is more than one reason we nicknamed her the mouth of the South when she was little!). I found myself being very short tempered. Finally, in her kind and gentle way, she said, “Mom, let me help you”. I felt so humbled by this sweet little person. She was so patient with me…and here I am suppose to be the mom. As I tucked her in bed last night, I said, “Madi, I am so sorry for being mean to you at the store today.” “When Mom?” was her tender response. Children…if we could only sometimes be more like them.

Gals, the day will come, all too soon, when they will be gone. For some of us, we need to practice letting go a little bit each day. Maybe it is letting them stay home alone for the first time, getting their driver’s license or going to that camp. These little “letting go’s” are a good thing…no only for us but for them for, you see, we both need to prepare for that day. So while you prepare, bit by bit, be sure at the same time, to grasp the joy of each and every moment of those you have left.

“That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet.” Emily Dickinson

Lynn

One Comment

  1. Oh wow – this is so good too! My son turns 16 a week today and the thought of seeing him behind the wheel of a car can seem daunting!

    As that song I hear on the radio reminds me, my love needs to give him courage to help him find his wings.

    Watching my son fly,
    Joy

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