Friday, March 20, 2009

Letting go..


Chad Family Day 3.19.09
Originally uploaded by mommanana
Everyone is sleeping and I can't! It is actually still Thursday for me. We had a good day with Chad. He has become a man over the past 10 weeks. He even looks different to me. Not just in his physical appearance, but in how he carries himself. With a confidence & direction I am not used to seeing in him. I am so very proud of him!
My Mom & Dad came in this afternoon and had dinner with all of us at the NCO Club, They had a dinner for his unit there. He couldn't go off base until tomorrow, so he will see Greta & Randy in the morning. They got in this evening. He will have tomorrow until he has to report back to his unit (by 9 pm). Then he flys out Saturday morning to Arizona where he will go to tech school for almost 11 months.
Kierra living in St. Pete. is the farthest any of our children have lived from us. Even when Chad lived & worked with Greg & Lisa, it was just a couple hours away.
This is a new journey for both of us. It has been the best thing for Chad. It has been hard to let him go, partly because we weren't on the best terms when he left. I am trying to let that go too. This 24 hours with him here is like stepping into another dimension, a place we haven't been before. A reunion, a celebration, & a farewell packed into two 12 hour days.
That is such a short amount of time to get to know him, this man who used to be my little boy. I can say he always will be, but that child is packed away with my memories, and I have to rerrange his "room" in my mind, to adapt to this grown man he has become.
It will be hard to let him go not knowing when I will see him again. I am trying to plan a road trip with the kids in July, but alot can happen between now & then. He said he will try to come home for Christmas.
So this is what it feels like to truly have your child leave the nest, to love them enough to let them go...OUCH!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

That is awesome!! Awesome job Chad!!

Anonymous said...

CONGRADULATIONS CHAD, THE CHAD IS GREAT!