This week, we are heading for a course change. Not for us directly, but for our youngest. He’s graduating college and making preparations to enter life outside academia after 16 years of guidance. While I’m excited for him to enter this new chapter, there’s this sense of melancholy. After he leaves this chapter of his life, my role in it will, rightly so, diminish. I have come to the realization that it is time to “cut the dingy loose.” My boys are no longer tethered to me; they have their own vessels and will navigate their own courses. We will continue cruising together but will reach our destinations at different times. As we unfurl our sails for the relaxing cruise we waited for, they prime their engines for the exciting ride up ahead. But that’s okay. They will always have a way to hail us if need be. They will learn how to weather uncertain storms, and they will always come back to their home port because you have set their compass to point that way. It’s now time for us to now plot our own cruise. See what stops we might have missed exploring along the way, and slow down and enjoy the gentle breeze that takes us to our next destination. It is uncharted for sure, but the fun is anticipating where we can end up.
