Fly, Little Bird
My son decided several months ago that he wanted to live with his father. My knee-jerk reaction was to tell him no. How could the little boy I've nurtured and loved for the last 12 years want to leave me so soon? Was I a bad mother? What have I not done for him? How could his deadbeat father be a better parent than me? But as the school year closed and summer got closer, I began to relent. Partially because when I originally told him no, he became surly, withdrawn, and caustic to be around. I could tell he was unhappy here and he was unhappy with me. And to be fair, every conversation with him was an argument and the relationship between he and his sister was full of fights. I realized that he felt like he didn't really fit in here. He wanted to know his dad better, to be part of his life more. I remember feeling that way about my own mom, and never having the opportunity to explore my feelings. I knew I had to let him go--at least for the summer. But after a couple of weeks wi...