When it’s time to let go
“The art of letting go of your child must come in stages. We grow with them as parents, but our hearts are never truly ready for them to leave the nest.” ~Jennifer L. Betts
Reclaiming and repurposing my son’s childhood bedroom happened “in stages” — long after he left home. For a while it remained unchanged, a memorial to the past. I wrote about the process in a reflective essay that touches on the importance of letting go of our earlier parenting roles and embracing the future.
The essay appears in the October 2022 issue of Vitality magazine (in The Oakland Press), which will be available in print next Thursday. You can read it online here.
Cindy La Ferle
Throughout my career, I've worked as a book production editor, travel magazine editor, features writer, and weekly newspaper columnist. My award-winning lifestyles features and essays have appeared in many national magazines and anthologies, including Newsweek, Reader's Digest, The Christian Science Monitor, Writer's Digest, Victoria, Better Homes & Gardens, Bella Grace, and more. My weekly Sunday "Life Lines" column ran for 14 years in The Daily Tribune (Royal Oak, MI) and won a First Place (Local Columns) award from the Michigan Press Association. My essay collection, Writing Home, includes 93 previously published columns and essays focusing on parenthood and family life.
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