Roots and wings

Life is a balancing act. Period.

This morning, I was feeling particularly exhausted and overwhelmed. My husband has been putting in long hours at work. I am trying to enjoy the last few minutes of summer with our kids, make sure they are still learning responsibility, and keeping myself sane. I started wondering if I am a good enough parent. As the tears welled up in my eyes, I remembered a funeral I attended several months ago. During the homily, the priest was talking about a plaque that hung in his parents' home.

"There are two gifts we should give our children; one is roots & the other is wings."

He talked about the necessity of giving our children roots, a firm foundation, a loving household, the wisdom to know the importance of hard work. We can't expect a 5 year old to have the same understanding of chores as a teenager. And we also cannot expect them to know much of anything without solid instruction. In the next breath, he stressed letting them go. We raise strong children so they can go off on their own and know how to make good choices. They can become who and what they want because we are behind them, supporting them. 

Yesterday, our oldest daughter took a test at school. Classes don't resume until next week. However, she has spent her summer break learning Geometry on her own so she could take an advanced math this year. I don't know many teenagers who want to study during their time off. But our daughter is an exception to the rule. She successfully passed the test yesterday and is taking a Junior-level math class as a Sophomore. 

Last night, she wanted to celebrate with her friends by going to the fair. For one minute, I panicked. I was not going to the fair, there are lots of people there, what if something bad happened, and on and on. Then I laughed at myself. She has roots. She knows right from wrong. She is a good kid. It's time to let her try out her wings. I dropped her off at the gate and watched her walk off with her friends. For several hours, I didn't hear from her. "Hey, can I get a ride home?" The text message made me smile. She liked her wings, but she has a firm foundation.

And so it goes. I will never be a perfect parent. But as long as my kids have roots and wings, we're gonna make it.