Life Lesson #15: The day they fly

Yesterday was the first time #1 flew by herself. She left for Shanghai to spend 3 weeks with her aunt who lives there. We felt it was a good time as she had just completed her ‘O’s.

#2 sending her to the gate

Not only was she physically going away, but I knew that this marks the beginning of her flying away from our nest. When she returns from her trip, she will be entering a JC or Poly and that is a huge jump from being within arms length while in secondary school. 

Seeing her walk through the departure gates, the thoughts that filled my mind were not so much about missing her or worrying about her. Instead, it became apparent that what we did over the past 16 years of our lives were to shape her for today and the years ahead.

To shape her for the days when we are not there to guide her. To shape her as she enters the tumultuous teenage years, where possible bad influences from peers will test the foundations which we had laid for her.

It’s not easy to know if we have done our job well as parents. There’s also no turning back time, especially for the eldest when a lot of the time we didn’t know better, and parented her as best as we could. All we can do is to continue to love her regardless, as she walks her own journey. And to never cease in our prayers for her.