Yesterday Kerri and I took her new bike out for a spin. "Don't let go of me!", yelled my panicked little girl, who is still afraid of falling off her bike. And when she was not paying attention, I let go.
I have been letting go of Kerri from the first day I held her. As much as I want to hold on forever, I have to let her go...so she can learn, make mistakes, and come back. And sometimes letting go is easy - like when she is on her new bike. But most of the time, letting go is really hard.
I will be letting go again very soon. Kerri will be attending a weekend camp with her Girl Guide group and her Nana (who very graciously volunteered to take my place). And because I am an overprotective and possessive Mama, I struggled to let her go. I waited until the last possible moment to make the decision, knowing fully well I could not say no anyway. And I will be a nervous wreck the entire time she is gone - but thankfully I have another three weeks to prepare for that.
Why is letting go such a big part of parenting? And why is it harder for me than for her?
Luckily, the best part of letting go is....that Kerri always comes back - stronger, more confident, and having learned something new. I hope that never changes.
Life with Kerri is easy to hold on to, but hard to let go.