I’ve known for a long time how fortunate I am, and I’ve never taken it for granted.  I also knew, deep down, someday it would come to an end. 

And that’s why I’ve tried to be so intentional over the years.  Time is a fleeting thing.  I’ve heard that so many times over my life.  I’m here to tell you it’s true.  But you don’t need me to tell you that, you’ve lived it too. 

In a week and a half, March 15 to be exact, I will join the ranks of millions of parents before me.  Our sons are leaving for California.  This is not a new dream for them, but I have to admit I was hoping it would evaporate over time.  But it only grew. 

 I am a firm believer that when something burns in your soul long enough, you have to admit there’s something to it.  You have to ask the Lord about it and give it space to grow.  And that’s exactly what happened. 

Travis, my youngest, came home from college in 2021.  He was exhausted after four demanding years of school.  One thing he was never without was direction.  He taught himself how to make YouTube videos and create cartoons and animations when he was very young.  I still remember him sitting in the swivel chair, just off the kitchen, learning how to make digital art.  He never grew tired of it.   He has a real talent.  He draws beautifully and makes the digital world come to life.  People ask me where he got the talent, and I honestly don’t know.  Jeff and I barely draw stick figures; this is just a special gift from God to our youngest son. 

When he graduated from college with a degree in graphic design and a minor in animation, he knew he wanted to work for a graphic design company.  But not just any company, one that would challenge his curious spirit and keep him on the cutting edge of the industry.  But, first, he had to find a company that fit that description.  To say he was picky is probably an understatement.

His first year at home, he dabbled in freelancing, but he didn’t like it.  Through a miraculous series of events involving a neighbor and a local artist, he landed an internship at a company based in Los Angeles called Brains on Fire.  The company has since rebranded and is now named just Brains.  He worked so hard, there were many late nights and a couple of all-nighters.  But he was determined to win a job at this company that many thought was out of reach for a young guy just out of college. 

And, after three months, he was hired. 

Oh, we celebrated big with him.   This job has been the best thing to keep him challenged and has grown him into an amazing artist with many layers.  He’s helped to brand many companies, some of which you buy in local grocery stores or online.  It’s been an amazing opportunity for him.  He loves his work.

A couple of years in, he began to talk about living closer to Brains.  He wanted to go to the office instead of working through Zoom.   He desired real human contact instead of sitting alone in coffee shops.  He wanted to share his work rather than get feedback online. 

A plan was born.  

And then there’s Christian.  He’s my oldest son and middle child.  He’s always had a dramatic flair.   When he was little, he spent most of his time in a costume.  Spiderman and army guys were his favorite.  He was always creating new worlds in his mind and had the most vivid imagination.  I wondered as he was growing what that would look like as an adult. 

His road was a bit more complicated.  He was pretty immature when he went off to college, and when he told his father and me he was majoring in theater, we were far from excited.  Theater?  How do you make a living with that?  He minored in history, and honestly, no one I know recites history as he does.  His memory is nothing short of amazing. 

We had many, and I do mean many, heart-to-heart conversations about his career choice, but he was undeterred.  It’s funny how, when you’re young, nothing seems impossible.  I think you approach life with a “why not me?” attitude.  Somewhere along life’s journey, the reality of life sets in, and you realize that it probably won’t be you.  Or maybe we become jaded after disappointment, who knows for sure? 

But, not Christian.

Jeff and I kept hoping he would have that final disappointment that would set him on a different track, but it never came.  Whatever obstacles came his way, he chalked it up to “a lesson learned” and kept going. 

I don’t know exactly how long it took Jeff and me to realize he wasn’t going to change his mind.  But at some point, we decided to accept the choice he’d made.

We’ve prayed so hard for our kids over the years.  I can only speak for myself, but I guess I thought that if you prayed over your kids, they would grow into the version of themselves you had in mind.  Christian was a wild card.  He wasn’t turning out like we thought. 

I’m being vulnerable right now because it’s not easy to admit your child isn’t becoming the version of themselves you once imagined.  I’ve had many conversations with the Lord about this.  

But, thank goodness, the story gets much better from here.

When Christian graduated from college in 2020, he was given a scholarship to the University of Florida to earn a master’s in Theater and Communications.   He was so excited.  Those few years grew him so much and offered him plenty of opportunities.  One was a guest appearance on the Netflix show Cobra Kai. 

When he finished his master’s, he decided to come home and regroup, never intending to stay.  That was three years ago.  

From the time he graduated, before that even, he dreamed of Los Angeles.  He has a few friends out there in the business, and he always felt that if he could just get there, he could find work. 

Over the last three years, he has grown in ways that have amazed me. 

At first, he was pretty downhearted about not being able to find meaningful work.  Then he was angry.  Then he worked too much and burned out.  And then, when he was at the end of himself, God began to give him peace and healing from some things he didn’t want to face. 

Amazing how God works that way. 

He loves us too much to let us spiral into our unhealthiness.  He will do whatever it takes to bring us to a place of surrender because it’s there we find healing. 

And that’s what happened.

He spent a year working on himself, facing the giants that held him captive in his mind, and working a job he never wanted. 

And now…he is ready.

So, like I said at the beginning, in a week and a half, our sons, our boys, will get on an airplane and fly across the country to start a new life. 

They’re ready.

I’m struggling, but I know it’s time.

I’ve been fortunate, and I know it.

I’m so excited to hear about their escapades.

Oh, I’ll cry a lot when they go, but I’ll also clap for their adventure. 

I read a quote a long time ago that has stuck with me. 

“There are two lasting bequests we can give our children: one is roots, the other is wings.”

They have their roots.  Now it’s time for wings.