What I Have Learned - Take Thirty-Eight

I have learned that it never gets easier to put them on that airplane.

My two oldest children go to visit their Father in Florida for visitation when school is not in session.  They go every Spring Break, every Summer, every other Thanksgiving, and a week at Christmas.  I've been divorced for ten years, but have only had to do the out of state visitation thing for the past four years.

My kids were 8 and 10 the first time I had to put them on a plane by themselves.  It was heart-wrenching.  It was scary. It was just plain horrible.  I sat at the gate once the plane took off and cried, and cried, and cried.  I clung to my phone waiting for word that they arrived safely to their destination. Once I received those sweet words 'We made it, Mom', I cried some more.

Four years later, and it hasn't gotten any easier.  I get all mushy and sentimental as I kiss them goodbye, I send them 'I love you' texts once they board the plane, I say a prayer as I look out to their plane on the runway. I don't break down quite as much when the plane leaves my sight, but the tears are still welled up in my eyes.  I still clutch my phone waiting for word they have landed safely.

Thankfully, the kids arrived safely in Florida this afternoon without incident.  That airplane held two of the most precious things on it today, two pieces of my heart. I have such a difficult time with the kids leaving for several weeks, how in the world will I ever let them go away to college, move out, start lives of their own? It never really does get easier does it??