Releasing our children

Celebrating Motherhood Series

"For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven." – Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NLT)

It was a milestone I’ll never forget—my daughter’s high school graduation. As she walked across the stage to receive her diploma, a wave of joy and sorrow washed over me. Twelve years of effort, growth, and love had led to that moment—she was now a high school graduate.

Graduation day confirmed what I already knew—it was time. Like a butterfly leaving its cocoon, she was ready to embrace her own journey—making decisions, taking risks, and stepping into the life God had designed for her. Though I wanted to hold on, shielding her from the harsh realities of the world she was about to enter, I had to trust that His care for her far surpassed mine.

So I released her, knowing that eighteen years of love, nourishment, and guidance had prepared her to soar.

Do you have a child graduating in 2025? This poem, Release, is a tribute to that sacred moment of transition—a reminder that though it may be time to let go, our love as mothers remains forever woven into the very fabric of our children.

RELEASE

In so many ways, I have to let you go
Even though I don’t want to

Yet I know it’s time

Time to release you from the safety of your cocoon
The cocoon that nourished, loved, and protected you
The cocoon that shaped and developed your wings
Until they became strong enough to fly

But it’s difficult letting go
For it means the child I once had is no longer a child

Like a caterpillar that’s emerged from its cocoon
You’ve emerged from the cocoon of my parental arms
Into a lovely butterfly
Ready to spread your wings

But isn’t that what I always wanted
Isn’t that why I loved, nurtured, and cared for you these many years

And now the time has come
Time to let you soar as far as your wings will take you
Into heights unseen and unknown

So I release you today from your cocoon
Go ahead, stretch your beautiful wings
And fly.