By Grand Design

I am not pregnant, but I know a few things about pregnancy.
There is a grand design involved....no really there is. I'm sure you have seen it. At first you are sick and tired, then it is the honeymoon stage,the baby grows, kicks becomes alive and finally uncomfortable. Time to move on....move out.

Emotionally it is similar...In the beginning of pregnancy,labor,"the valley of death", with all it's horror stories of 48000000 hours of pain scare you. By the end, it becomes so uncomfortable you just want that baby out...not matter what. There are times of going back and forth between fear of labor and excitement of being not pregnant. Ultimately there is excitement for the new stage about to unfold.

So it is with one leaving the nest. The excitement, sickness and exhaustion is not quite over, does it ever really go away? The years of watching, encouraging them grow...they kick the boundaries grrr, and the fear of them leaving is paramount. The loss of the personality from the mix, the fear and loss of mortality,and then it is time for moving on....moving out. The process of gaining independence is painful,and there are more than one time you are begging to get this over. Trusting choices is uncomfortable, and moving on IS the VALLEY of death. Death of a childhood,but not death of parenthood.
Ultimately there is excitement for the new stage about to unfold.