Dear Clone and Swan,
I am so happy that you are home for the summer. I truly like the young man and woman you have become and you are a joy to spend time with. You both have become quite thoughtful and considerate of others and I see a vibrant faith in each of you that blesses me beyond measure.
I love watching the two of you interact with each other and see the tight bonds of friendship you have formed. I love that you share so much with your father and me and that we know so many of the friends you talk about.
I want to let you in on a little secret, okay its probably not so secret, I'm still your mom. I still want to know everything about you and I still want to protect you and make sure you are happy and healthy. I want to make sure everything in your life turns out perfect and to keep you from any sadness. I want to jump in and fix the hurts and make sure things run smoothly for you when you plan things.
You both are bright, intelligent, independent, highly capable adults. I watch in wonder sometimes that I managed to raise two such awesome young people. I have no doubts that God will use you and that you will do just fine on your own.
However, there's still this Mom gene in me that wants to do all the things I mentioned above. So I just want you to know, before I get on your nerves (and if I have already, thank you for not showing it! ) I am trying to let go. I am biting my tongue more than you know so as not to pry or overstep. I am trying to give you the space and independence you desire and are so capable of attaining. If I don't always succeed, its because of the overwhelming love I have for each of you.
While I will always be your mother and this will probably be a battle for me til the day I die, I am also excited to be moving into this next stage of our relationship, which will hopefully last a lifetime...Mom AND friend.
I love you both,
Mom
I am so happy that you are home for the summer. I truly like the young man and woman you have become and you are a joy to spend time with. You both have become quite thoughtful and considerate of others and I see a vibrant faith in each of you that blesses me beyond measure.
I love watching the two of you interact with each other and see the tight bonds of friendship you have formed. I love that you share so much with your father and me and that we know so many of the friends you talk about.
I want to let you in on a little secret, okay its probably not so secret, I'm still your mom. I still want to know everything about you and I still want to protect you and make sure you are happy and healthy. I want to make sure everything in your life turns out perfect and to keep you from any sadness. I want to jump in and fix the hurts and make sure things run smoothly for you when you plan things.
You both are bright, intelligent, independent, highly capable adults. I watch in wonder sometimes that I managed to raise two such awesome young people. I have no doubts that God will use you and that you will do just fine on your own.
However, there's still this Mom gene in me that wants to do all the things I mentioned above. So I just want you to know, before I get on your nerves (and if I have already, thank you for not showing it! ) I am trying to let go. I am biting my tongue more than you know so as not to pry or overstep. I am trying to give you the space and independence you desire and are so capable of attaining. If I don't always succeed, its because of the overwhelming love I have for each of you.
While I will always be your mother and this will probably be a battle for me til the day I die, I am also excited to be moving into this next stage of our relationship, which will hopefully last a lifetime...Mom AND friend.
I love you both,
Mom
What a great letter! Can steal it and use it myself in a few years? Although mine are both still at home, I can SO RELATE to what you've written.
ReplyDeleteMy ds will be going away to work at Boy Scout camp all summer. He will be home for 22 hours each weekend, but I may not see him much with dd playing on a traveling softball team. I know that he's going to come home a different person in August. He's also just had his first "date" with a family friend. It's just a friendship at this point, as he stepped up and offered to take her to her Christian school's Prom Alternative next weekend. In preparation for that, she asked him to go for Taco Bell and ice cream this past weekend to talk about some of the details. While the relationship is innocent enough, I found my stomach in knots realizing that he's taking the first step toward me not being "first lady" in his life anymore. It's a very weird (and somewhat scary) feeling. But like you, I am amazed that I have raised such good, wonderful kids.
All of that to say, I'm watching you, MA'AM, and taking lessons! =)
What a blessing you are!
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