I can smell glue sticks, fresh folders, and brand-new shoes if I close my eyes and envision the first days of school. Some of you have already sent your babies off to begin the school year and some of you have yet to do so. Regardless, please know that I’m holding you in my heart as you transition. Maybe you’re SO ready for summer to be over. Ack, planning a summer of camps and entertainment can be exhausting. Staying up late as they’re outside playing and enjoying life as the summer drags on might feel tiring. Or maybe you’re soaking up sunshine, stickiness, and ice cream. Perhaps, you’re dreading the last hug or squeeze before kindergarten or high school. Or maybe tears spring to your eyes as you imagine packing up the car for college. Wherever you are, you can do this. 

Here’s my mantra for this time:  

As they venture bravely out into the world, know that you’ve prepared them to be kind and strong. Your heart is going out into the world. It’s going to feel hard. Hard doesn’t mean they’re not ready; it means that your love is extending. Your love will hold them.

And here is a sweet quote that has helped ground me these past few weeks, from Rachel Stafford: 

May you trust that this is not the end, but the quiet unfolding of a new beginning – for them and for you.

May the space they leave behind feel less like absence and more like a place still echoing with laughter, love, and the promise of their return.

May you know, deep in your bones, that your role was never just to hold them close – it was to see them go forth on their path of independence.

May you feel their love in unexpected moments. 

May you release the constant need for updates, and trust that the love you built can stretch farther than distance.

May you remember: they are not lost to you. They are becoming.

And now that you’ve launched them, please consider taking a peek at your calendar and joining us for our fall conference – made just for you!