Leaving for College
Tyler with his sisters, Jordan and Ellie (Photo courtesy of Charles Bordner)
This weekend, my son Tyler leaves for college. And, as I think about that, here’s what I’d like to know- how has this happened so quickly?
Tammy and I were in our mid-twenties, excited about my first big job and enjoying our first (decent) apartment, when we found out that we were expecting a baby! Since then, Tyler has become a young man and the center of the universe for our two younger daughters. There’s just no way those eighteen years have passed so quickly..!
Some of you may have heard me on the show, fighting back tears as I described our first visit to Tyler’s college campus this Spring. I’ve toughened up (a little!) since then. Tyler and I spend a lot of time together and it was - and still is - hard to imagine him being gone most of the time. Trying to come to grips with the idea that my relationship with my son will “turn a corner” and never be the same… Well, it’s been difficult.
Now, I know some of you are going through this with me in the next couple of weeks and maybe you’re struggling also. Well, I read something a couple of months ago that’s helped. I read this, of all places, in a book called A Look at Life From a Deer Stand, by singer/songwriter Steve Chapman. It’s a lyric that starts by telling parents that “the moment your child starts to walk, they start to walk away from you,” and then it concludes with this:
Can the sparrow ever learn to fly
If the nest is all it knows?
Can the arrow ever reach it’s mark
By remaining in the bow?
You have to let it go.
Sure, it’s a pretty simple lyric, but it illustrates what I think is a profound truth. Every lesson and every struggle over the past eighteen years, from the gazillion skinned knees to that “why are girls so frustrating?” talk- all of it has been in preparation for this moment. And, through God’s grace, I know Tyler is ready (even if his parents are not).
It’s time to let the arrow go.
August 14th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
First and foremost, this is a great photo of your kids!
Tyler is a very handsome young man!
Just think TK - If Tyler follows Tammy and your footsteps, you’ll be a GRANDPA in 6-7 years. *laughs* Okay, okay… I was TRYING to make you feel better.
You’ve raised Tyler well and now is the time for him to spread his wings - You must remember that you’re not losing your son… You’re simply watching him turn into the man you’ve worked on for the last 18-years. Best of luck to you all and keep up the good work at Magic!