Micah started preschool today. He finally met the prerequisite of being potty trained, and he was so excited to walk through the school door with his big brother. He marched into the classroom, greeted his teacher, and proceeded to play. "Bye, Mom" was all I heard. No hesitation, no tears, no fear. I felt the slightest twinge of sadness, but the lure of freedom grabbed me as I walked to my car in the beautiful sunshine. Two and a half hours to myself!
I'm so proud of you, Micah. Mommy will loosen my "kite strings" just a bit.....
"I see children as kites. You spend a lifetime trying to get them off the ground. You run with them until you're both breathless...they crash...you add a longer tail...they hit the rooftop...you pluck them out of the spout. You patch and comfort, adjust and teach. You watch them lifted by the wind and assure them that someday they'll fly.
Finally, they are airborne, but they need more string and you keep letting it out. With each twist of the ball of twine, there is a sadness that goes with the joy because the kite becomes more distant, and somehow you know that it won't be long before that beautiful creature will snap the lifeline that bound you together and soar as it was meant to soar - free and alone. Only then do you know that you did your job."
by Erma Bombeck
