“Wear your ruby shoes when you’re far away,
so you’ll always stay home in your heart”.
(love and happiness)
From the moment my first baby was placed in my arms I became a different person.
Life was no longer about me.
When she smiled my heart soared,
when she cried my heart broke.
When she was hurting I felt her pain,
when she succeeded I relished her success.
Today I look at my eldest, my firstborn,
and I marvel at all she has become.
Many milestones have been passed,
with lessons learned along the way,
by both of us.
She has paved the way for her siblings,
and helped mould me into the mother I have become.
Tonight she is leaving home for a few weeks.
I know she will be back.
I know she will have a great time.
I know I am so proud of her.
I know how much I will miss her.
Tonight I kissed her goodbye,
and said cheerily ‘Have a great time sweetheart’,
while whispering within my soul,
‘Be careful my darling, come home safely’.
xx
Tonight, as I did the last time she left home, I post this song, and hope once more that my ‘little one’ has packed her ruby shoes
photo credit: holytoastr via photopin cc.
photo credit: Sheila in Moonducks via photopin cc
My thoughts on a page. 
Lovely post and prayers for a safe return back to you 🙂
Thanks April. She’ll have a ball, but as her mom I’ll miss her. and of course it is our job to worry.:)
awww, so bittersweet and beautiful, tric –
Thanks Beth. We can be awful eejits when it comes to our children.
It is so much more of an adjustment for us than for them….this whole growing up thing! I can relate. My youngest son is home for a couple weeks right now and I am cherishing every moment. There has been some transition time…back and forth, but now he has decided that “home” is not here anymore. It is six hours away..new life, friendships, etc. What I have learned is that all that we invest into our relationships with them when they were younger is key to our relationships with them as adults. Everything will be ok…as I am sure from reading your blog, that you have done just that. We have to continue to grow right along with them. 🙂
You summed up my life and thoughts so perfectly. It is good to think the foundations laid when they are young remain strong. Thank you for that your reassurances are much appreciated tonight.
Safe travels to your sweet child grown up as she may be. How beautiful a mother’s love and prayers.
Thanks Colleen. There is such a fine line between letting them go and holding them close.
Isn’t there though. It’s tough stuff to stay on the right side of that line at all times. I think we step back and forth over it a few times…
Oh mothering and fathering! I met a man yesterday whose kids are well into their 40s and he started talking about how he’d asked an older friends years back, ‘When do you stop worrying about your kids?’ The friend said, ‘When they’re in their mid-thirties.’ He just looked at me and said: ‘That’s not true, you know. I think you never give up worrying about them but I wouldn’t have it any other way.’
I see my mom in her 80s and she still cares for us all so much. I can only hope my gang do not challenge me as much as we have done my mom.
I can already see my eldest ‘moving away’, and beginning to live more independently, until something happens. 🙂
How wonderfully exciting for her but your worry and sadness is understandable…beautiful post and beautiful song.
Hope she has a wonderful, exciting trip and returns safe and full of stories x
Thanks. She will have a ball and this is what we wish for as parents, to rear our choldren to be independant , but we still worry and miss them. I love this song.