Let Go - Reverb10

Sometimes it's all I can do to NOT take over! 

December 5 – Let Go.

What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why?

This was a hard question for me, and I was tempted to skip it. Today's prompt, after all, is a lot more fun. The more I thought on it though, the more I realized how hard it is for me to let go of control. I can't say that I have let go of it this year, but rather that I'm trying. Kids seem to go from utterly helpless to fiercely independent in a matter of moments, which means that I need to change from doing everything for them, to teaching them to do things, and then....letting go. Letting them button their own shirt, even if it's mismatched. Letting them decorate their own cake, even if it's messy, or their own gingerbread house, even if, (gasp!) all the candy is not symmetrical. It means letting them sew things and craft things and not grab the needle or the scissors and trim things up a little. It means letting them experience for themselves the joy of learning, the satisfaction of having created something by themselves. And for some reason, I find this hard. Very hard. 

As I think on this, I realize how much more intentional I need to be about this letting go, not just in the small matters, but in the bigger ones too. I mean, really, it doesn't matter that my son loves to wear nice button up shirts, one on top of another, untucked, with a belt over top and camo shorts on the bottom. This is seriously one of this favorite combinations of clothing, and I've exercised considerable restraint in not telling him how ridiculous it looks. He may look back on his pictures someday and wish I'd told him, but whatever. Clothing is not something I choose to make a battle over, but there are other areas where I need to start giving my older two kids more freedom. I need to guide, but not carry and control. I need to be there for them, but not micromanage their days. It's a hard balance, this letting go, and I hope it's something I will continue to grow in. 

This post is part of reverb10.