Letting Go ~

Have you ever struggled letting your adult children go? How do we do it?

My mind tells me to trust in God, but getting my heart to completely believe and trust him can be a real challenge for me.

I know in my head that I can't always keep my kids safe from physical harm, decisions they make or the worldly influences they will face. I also can't make all their dreams come true.

I know that prayer is the essential action and I do pray about this very often. I still find myself wanting to protect those I love.

I find myself feeling guilty for just about every bad decision my kids make even though I know I shouldn't. 

I am trying to trust that God will take care of them and letting him have the control. I can only love them.

How many times have your kids done something that has worried you or made you want to step in and take over?

How many times have you, in fact, interfered in their life to try to make things better, only to find that your worrying, controlling and "wise counsel" are neither wanted nor appreciated?

I have  found myself repeatedly trying to help my kids and repeatedly having my efforts rejected and repeatedly trying again and again with not much getting better and a whole lot getting worse.  Maybe it's time to try something different.

I know it doesn't mean abandoning them or loving them less or hurting them in any way. It just means finally understanding that there is only so much I can do to help them.

I came across this list of what it is to let go. This is where I'm going to try to keep my focus.

To "Let Go" does not mean to stop caring, it means I can't do it for someone else.

To "Let Go" is not to cut myself off, it's the realization I can't control another

To "Let Go" is not to enable, but to allow learning from natural consequences.

To "Let Go" is to admit I am powerless, which means the outcome is not in my hands.

To "Let Go" is not to try to change or blame another, it's to make the most of myself.

To "Let Go" is not to care for, but to care about.

To "Let Go" is not to fix, but to be supportive.

To "Let Go" is not to judge, but to allow another to be human.

To "Let Go" is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes, but to allow others to affect their own destinies.

To "Let Go" is not to be protective, it is to permit another to face reality.

To "Let Go" is not to deny, but to accept

To "Let Go" is not to nag, scold, or argue, but instead to search out my own shortcomings and correct them.

To "Let Go" is not to adjust everything to my desires but to take each day at it comes, and cherish myself in it.

To "Let Go" is not to regret the past, but to grow and live for the future.

To "Let Go" is to fear less and love more.



Sending Love and Light to all the parents and their children that are going through this "Letting Go" process.