Morning came early today. And it’s Monday. Not just any Monday, though. It’s the first Monday of (yet another) brand new chapter in my life. I’m not even sure what to call this chapter just yet. And I’m not really sure how I feel about it either. Love it? Hate it? At the end of the day, probably a mixture of both.
My daughter left this morning on an early flight to the east coast. For business. After four weeks of training, this is her first official business trip. Of many! Wow. My arm felt like lead as I tried to wave goodbye. Her tail lights burned through the darkness, and then disappeared. Turning to come back inside, I saw “it”. THE poem. It has been on our refrigerator for a hundred years (give or take). I have shared this poem with many over the years. Mostly requested by other moms. When we got a new refrigerator we moved the old refrigerator out to the garage. The poem stayed intact. It’s funny though. I am in and out of the garage a million times a day, but never really “see” the poem. It’s just there as part of the refrigerator, I guess. But not this morning. No. This morning it was different. It was as if “THE poem” was covered in flashing neon lights, bells a’ringin… I stopped dead in my tracks to read it.
The garage door slammed shut. I felt the darkness all around me. It was quiet. So very, very quiet. The hum of the refrigerator seemed almost deafening. She is officially all grown up. Out the door and off to new adventures, challenges, experiences. It’s a solo flight for her; realistically and figuratively. Flights, rental cars, hotels… The real world; the unknown. Is she ready for everything? Definitely. She is a strong, smart, confident young woman who can handle anything. To say that I am proud – Well, that barely even scratches the surface of how I feel. Yes. I am VERY, VERY PROUD…!! But I am also a little sad. For me, not her. I am just not very good at this whole “letting go” thing. At all.
But… her time has come. “Time to soar, as she was meant to soar, free and ALONE. My job is done.”
“Children Are Like Kites”
“I see children as kites. You spend a lifetime trying to get them off the ground.
You run with them until you’re both breathless.
They crash.
They hit the rooftop.
You patch and comfort. You adjust and teach. You watch them lifted by the wind and assure them that someday they will fly.
Finally they are airborne…
They need more string and you keep letting it out.
But with each twist of the ball of twine,
there is a sadness that goes with the joy.
The kite becomes more distant,
and you know it won’t be long before that string will snap and the lifeline that holds you two together will no longer be the same.
A child, as a kite, must be prepared to soar, as they were meant to soar, free and alone, to the greatest extent possible.
And only then can we collectively say that we have done our job.”
– Author unknown
I know what you mean. Letting our “children” go is never easy. The poem is beautiful and so true.
It truly is a beautiful poem… tho hard to read at times without crying!! I have heard that it might be an Erma Bombeck poem… but no confirmation on that. I loved Erma tho, so I would believe it!!
Oh, how I love that poem! Tears as I read it and felt everything in it…
Thanks, Ibby. Me too… <3
I too had a “Children Are Like Kites” kind of day. It all started yesterday as I sat in my dining room looking out the big picture window, towards the street, waiting for the “arrival” kinda like I did as a kid waiting and looking out the window for grandma to come visit. But this was a different kind of waiting. A dreading kind of waiting. So, as I sat there “waiting”, I got my IPad and opened my emails and there it was. YOUR post…The Poem!!! Just as a finished reading your post, I looked up, and the waiting was over. The big white truck with bold black letters on the side that said TWO MEN AND A TRUCK was heading up my street and around my cul-de-sac and stopped in front of my house. You see, my daughter, Kelly, was moving out and moving on… moving into her own apartment, moving on to a new life, and moving on to the real life of ADULTHOOD. Yeah, sure, she moved out when she went to college, but that was different. Moving to college meant she took her “necessities” but left her bedroom totally intact. The bedroom, always waiting for her to return, any time she wanted to “just sleep in the comfort of her own bed.” So at that moment I got a little teary eyed but, I had to get myself together for the movers were knocking at my door. So I went on about my busy day helping Kelly get settled into her new apartment, stopping often and thinking about The Poem. You shared that poem with me once and of course I LOVED it. So, I found The Poem on a beautiful plaque, I bought it, hung it and I too pass by it a gazillion times a day, but never really :see the poem… just like you. But now, today, it was embedded in my mind. Every single word of it. So at the end of day, when it was time so say “good-bye”, I looked around at Kelly’s new apartment. All perfectly put together. Her new home. All her new furniture, new dishes, new bedding…everything new….because this was her new life. Her new adult life. So I said to her “Good bye my little Kelly Kite.” And she looked at me strangely. So I told her how I read your post just moments before the big white truck came to take her to her “New Life.” Her ”Adult Life.” That truck was a symbol of the string on the kite in that poem for me. That final moment of letting go. Her time too had come. “Time to soar, as she was meant to soar, free and ALONE. My job is done.”
OK Roberta… I am SOBBING!!! That was so beautiful!!! Do you mind if I share it? On my blog? I am getting ready for that “big move” this summer. With my son. Hearing your words opened the floodgates of my heart… Beautifully written, my friend. Just beautiful.
Great big hugs to you today. To you, and your little “kelly kite” <3
Hey Cathy…Yes, you can share it on your blog if you would like. I still can’t get over the timing of your post. I had five unread post from your blog, but for some reason i read THAT post just moments before the move. I feel it was some “higher spirit” that lead me to read it when I did. Because after all, I feel like your post was written just for ME that day!!! Thanks for reminding me of that beautiful poem on such a “Children Are Like Kites” kind of day for me. Best of luck to you this summer as your son moves out and moves on to real Adulthood!!! It will be sad for you, but also a very proud moment too,Knowing that your job is done! Hugs
Thanks Roberta!!I totally believe that God puts things/people/experiences in our lives for a purpose. One never knows, and I am so touched that he used me to help YOU through your experience… It WAS written for you in that very moment <3 Hugs back atcha…