Mostly Brave

“There are two gifts we must give our children. The one is roots. The other is wings.”- Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

I really feel for the parents that are now sending their kids off to college for the first time. I understand how bittersweet that moment can be. I spent my twenties through my fifties, giving my kids wings so they could fly away one day. I knew this was my job as their mom. I kept each kid’s set of wings very close to me. If their wings were hurt, I helped to patch them up. If they were sad, I wanted to ease that pain for them. If they were angry or selfish, I wanted to teach them to look at their blessings. If they saw the world as being unkind, I wanted to teach them to be the kindest person in the room. If they felt they were helpless in a situation, I wanted to teach them to be brave. Then the day came, when it was time for me to cut them loose, say a prayer of courage, and let them fly away.

When I was in college, at the age of thirty-nine, I took a creative writing class. One of the assignments was to write a free verse poem. I called mine, “A Moment Not to Be Missed.”

Tucking you into bed

Another sip of water you say

Twenty minutes late past eight

Prayers to keep monsters away

Another book you plead

A silent prayer for endurance

Your heart at this time opened

Talking about what concerns you

A moment not to be missed

While I have twenty more things on my list

Trying to give looks of love

Sometimes I am chilly

Sometimes I am warm

One day your door will be closed

No invitation extended

I hope you remember the warmth

I had always waited for what was next: the kids getting out of diapers, finally walking, bathing themselves, pouring their own bowl of cereal and watching cartoons in the morning, staying home alone, driving themselves to school functions, and starting to work or go out with friends. All of these advances in their lives gave me more time to go on a date with Bryan or just take some time for myself.

And then, just like that, they were gone.