Life Changes In The Morrow House - TRACI MORROW Shares Thoughts About Raising Kids To Adulthood

Our second child, oldest daughter Holli turned 18 in October of 2012, and just finished her sr. year online. She ended up being the valedictorian of her small sr. class, and will have ceremonies in May. To fill the time between now and then, and as she waits to hear back from all the colleges she's applied to, she's packed her bags photo[5] and headed for England to live with my younger brother and his family. This is such a perfect fit for Holli, as my sister in law will be a perfect personality complement to hers and I know it will be an incredible memory that she'll cherish! I'm thankful we're able to provide this experience for her but boy do we miss her already!Saying goodbye is never easy, even when its a healthy part of growth, but I think its a lot harder to say goodbye to your kids! Even if its only for 2 photo[4] months! ;) She packed SO neatly, which is classic Holli, and left her room spotless, her schoolwork all gone through and thrown out. STRANGE. I keep walking by her typically closed door that is now open showing an empty room that looks like a guest room! :(Raising Holli has had it's fair share of good tears and prayerful tears on my knees, but as I watched her walk to have her passport checked at security at LAX, I smiled as I thought of how much love and great memories she's brought to my life, and how I'm so grateful God entrusted me with raising her. I'm so glad for her as she steps out into adulthood. She makes me laugh, she brings me peace because I know she is capable, she has a strong head on her shoulders (so do I, which causes some of our conflict), but as a mom I wanted to raise her so she felt fully capable to be or do anything her heart desired to do with her life. This season of change, and how we're both doing with it I think was best summed up in our two responses as I hugged her for the (third) last time at the airport: I was crying squeezing her neck professing my mother's love, and she was smiling ear to ear telling me it was going to be okay. :) She's ready to fly, both figuratively and literally, and as I read her tweets since she's landed, she is thriving already, thanks to her loving host family, and the "lovely" (speaking like a Brit) accommodations they've provided for her. :)I want to share this poem my sister shared at a bible study once, that I go over often. May it help you in your times of growth! (print it out for yourself even!)