I miss my baby. She’s not really a baby anymore. She is nineteen and a half, and has flown the coup. She is off at college, having fun, studying (we hope), working hard at her part-time job, learning to be responsible. But I miss her. And I still think she is my baby. I always will. The trick is to think it without treating her like one. And that is not always easy. I have had to consciously let go. I have to refrain from calling or texting her all the time, as I think she should set the pace for that. I keep reminding myself that this is why we raised her–to grow up and move out and move on to find her own spot in the world.
But I like to believe that God graciously places an invisible cord between us. Sometimes the cord stretches further than I would like, but it always brings her back.
I guess that visual comes from reading The Princess and The Goblin. This fantasy adventure book by George MacDonald was originally published in 1872. In the story, the girl, Irene, is tethered to her grandmother by an invisible thread.
This is what Focus the Family had to say about the story:
“Although not overt, Christian principles are throughout this book. For example, the invisible thread that Irene’s grandmother gives Irene helps her to walk forward in confidence at her grandmother’s bidding. This is akin to the way the Holy Spirit asks us to trust His direction as we move forward in each aspect of our lives.”
I agree. I am so glad that I am tethered to God by the Holy Spirit.
Even still, I miss my baby. I think I will go call her now.
