Letting go...

"Mommy, try letting go!" That is what Mason said to me last week as he was riding his bike. Granted, it's time for him to learn to ride. He boycotted the bike when we removed the training wheels a year ago and the scooter has been his preferred 2-wheeled transportation. Still, his words caught me off guard and I found myself getting a little teary as I ran along beside the bike.

Now I can't keep up with him as he bikes all over the place. He has mastered yet another skill. I can check "teach bike riding" off my to-do list of parenting. Now Mason would like to be in charge of teaching it to his sisters, and I know I should let go and give him room to try.

As I sit here on Mother's Day - here, of course, being Starbucks, I'm trying to figure out how it is that my baby will be 4 tomorrow and her sister will be 6 on Thursday. My kids are almost 4, 6, and 8, letting go is going to be a bigger part of my job every day. That makes me a little sad, but it will put my kids on the path to becoming independent adults. Although I never say no when Mary Jane asks if it's alright if she lives with me forever. I'm taking baby steps to letting go. Happy Mother's Day!