Miriam, my daughter, and I have just returned from Huntsville, Alabama, where she will be relocating for her first job as a journalist.  Several days ago we embarked on our last big adventure prior to her big step into the “grown up world.” I suppose I can term our trip as an adventure!  Our mission of learning how to navigate about the city, apartment hunting, and furniture shopping was in one word…exhausting! We had no idea how many decisions we would have to make, how many apartments we would have to see, and how many miles we would drive in the process.

By the end of our third day, we were finding our footing.  An apartment had been secured along with the required bare bones furniture.  Success!  To reward ourselves, we went to a movie at one of the local malls.  As we made our exit, we were drawn into the mall courtyard by the haunting, melodic sound of an electric violin.  As we stood listening with the crowd that had gathered, the very talented violinist began to play the theme song to “Beauty and the Beast.”  At that moment, I almost lost it.  Belle, the princess from that movie, had been Miriam’s childhood favorite.  A photo album of Miriam from birth to college graduation flashed before my mind’s eye, pausing for a moment to view her three year old self impersonating Belle.  Where had the time gone?  In one week, my baby would be living four hours away, very much a grown woman.

Now, I digress to revisit the ducklings from my last post.  They are almost grown now. It has been interesting watching as the mother has slowly weaned them from her constant presence.  There were times their frantic cheeping drew me to the lake’s edge, sure they were in danger, when the problem was actually separation anxiety.  Even that scene several weeks ago seemed foreshadowing of this moment. For all moms, there comes a time when you have to proverbially “cut the apron springs,” trust that you have prepared your child to your best ability , place them in God’s hands, and let them fly.

My greatest comfort through this is the assurance that God has a plan for Miriam, and He loves her even more than I do.  For this time I have prayed her entire life.  Now it is my turn to have faith, trust God, and let go.  Any separation anxiety “cheeping” heard will most likely be coming from me, but I will be praying my way through that.  I will miss her sweet face, her quirky sense of humor, and the times we dance together along with a million other things. But I know she is ready and will never walk alone.  Through the best and worst of times, God will be at her side guiding her, loving her, maturing her, comforting her, and on me he will bestow the required grace to weather the transition as He will for you if you find yourself in my shoes.

As the violinist finished the song, I wrapped my arm around Miriam’s shoulder.  As we walked away, I was aware that our relationship would always be changing and morphing through the passage of time, and we would be just fine. How blessed I am to be her mother. How blessed she is to be God’s child.  To God Be the Glory!