The year I’ve been dreading is upon me. 2012.
No, I’m not concerned with the Mayan Calendar prediction of doomsday, instead, the role I’ve happily carved out for myself as mom will alter dramatically this year.
My baby will graduate from high school.
More than likely my husband and I will become empty nesters by the end of the year when our daughter goes to college and our son gets an apartment on his own.
And so my only New Year’s Resolution this year is to slowly let go. I don’t want to be a helicopter mom, hovering over my grown kids lives. Instead, I want to be a lighthouse. A beacon that constantly shines, in good times and in bad, to let my children know they are loved.
I may call out a warning in stormy nights, but a lighthouse doesn’t leave the land it sits on. Instead, it lets the ship navigate the rough waters on its own. In good weather the lighthouse serves as a reminder that there is a safe harbor available if you want to come in from your journey and rest.
It will be a process, this letting go, but I resolve to start building up the foundation of my lighthouse so that I can stand tall and strong when the time comes to let my kids sail out on their own. A foundation built on the love we have for each other and the faith that God will protect them when they are out of my sight.