Issue link: http://janet.uberflip.com/i/1542558
l 28 HOOK P arenting r t f A Letting Go Gracefully — Crossing Thresholds Together Text by Dana Daly Photography by Tom Daly was such a simple thing, a short trip, yet it s/rred something deep, the first whisper of what it means to let go. Let them go through their own learning curve. Let go. Let go. Let go. I find myself repea/ng these words o en these days, some- /mes so ly under my breath, and some/mes with a full, deep exhale that feels like both release and prayer. As my children grow, I no/ce how the le1ng go comes in layers. It's not a sin- gle moment but a lifelong unfolding, a prac/ce of trust, pa- /ence, and faith. And yes, a quiet, private grief. Because every /me we release one stage, something within us shi s too. There is joy in watching them stretch into themselves, but there is also a tenderness and subtle ache for what once was. It's a l T here comes a /me in paren/ng when love asks something new of us not to hold /ghter, but to open our hands. I remember the first /me my daughter went off on a trip with her grandmother. I knew she was safe, and I knew she would have fun but my heart s/ll clenched a li0le as I watched them drive away. The house felt strangely different, and I stood in the doorway longer than I needed to, breathing through that tender ache between pride and longing. It