Sometimes as a mom you just have to stay strong for your child. That is how I have been feeling lately as we prepare to see our firstborn son leave the nest.
While I would love to spend every moment I can crying about the fact that he will be gone, missing the old days and cherishing everything about him…I have to remember that his departure isn’t just about me. It is about him.
Whenever a child leaves home, no matter what their destination, they are bound to have their own fears or worries. I imagine that for my son the world awaiting him might be a bit scary.
He will be 1,000 miles from home. He won’t know a single person. He will be facing eight weeks of emotional and physical challenges unlike anything he has ever endured. He won’t be able to pick up the phone or send a text whenever he wants.
Everything about his life is about to change.
And it is for these reasons that I am trying to stay strong. He doesn’t need me blubbering every two seconds I see him. He doesn’t need to feel bad in any way for the sorrow I feel in my heart.
So I have been busy and distracted, two keys to overcoming the urge to lie in bed all day long feeling sorry for myself. I try to make each day special. And I find more reasons to laugh.
I also let him know how very proud I am of him. His decision to serve our country is one of the bravest things I know.
There are other occasions in life when mom needs to learn how to stay strong for their child. When they are at their weakest, we have to learn to be at our strongest.
Our children may go through a difficulty in life. But we have to be the parent who walks beside them, not the one who gives up.
Stay strong mom. No matter what you are facing, this is what your child needs.
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Being Stretched as a Parent in Letting Go
First Step in Becoming a Military Mom
Photo by brokenchopstick on Flickr