Roots and Wings

As our children have grown, the advice I have clung to with both hands is, "give them roots and wings."  I feel like the roots part was easy.  Sometimes the wings part is a little harder.

Our sixth child, now 16 years old and a junior in high school got his driver's license yesterday.

Today he drove his siblings to school.

While I have waited all year for this little bit of freedom, for both of us, it was really hard to let them all walk out the door this morning knowing that I wasn't going to be the one taking them.

It's happened before.  Our other children got their licenses and started buying their own vehicles.  They took themselves to high school and then to college and work.  There have been speeding tickets and accidents but they always make it home at night.

Somehow, this time it's different.  I don't know if it's because I'm older or if it's because he is so very confident!

He is an excellent driver.  He knows his way around and he's been in situations, already, that I have never encountered i.e.  an ambulance, with siren blaring, right on his bumper when traffic was so thick he could not move over to get out of the way.  He's avoided collisions when other drivers were being less than cautious and he enters the freeway like a pro.

But, I'm his mom and I worry.

I have given him roots, and now I move onto giving him wings.

Fly carefully number 2 son and know that I love you.