*inspired by Georgia Heard’s poem of the same title
When my son was little,
he held my hand
to cross the street.
He needed a hand
on the back of the bike seat
when the training wheels came off.
So,
the day my son
crossed the street
to enter his college dorm,
my chest squeezed,
my heart skipped a beat.
Now,
my son is getting married ,
talking of kids
he will have someday.
No matter
how strong
a guide you are —
children leave.
And you,
go on working,
moving,
living,
loving,
every day —
even without them.
A Reading Life 
Those in the throes of raising children cannot believe how fast that drop-off day at college will come. But come it does and your poem captures that our lives continue without them. And when those grand kids arrive, your heart expands and love grows.
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What a lovely, poignant poem. It is so hard when they leave home for college, no matter how many children you have.
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Beautiful poem and it was very touching — I don’t even have children and I felt that pang!
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Congratulations on the upcoming wedding. This poem really made my chest tighten. This stanza is brimming with truth and emotion-
“ No matter
how strong
a guide you are —
children leave.”
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I really appreciate this poem. I am at a similar point in my life. I have found that there are moments of regret-that I wasn’t paying attention enough when they were little. But, there is only one way to go and that is forward and to love as much as you can right now.
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My favorite pare of your poem is where you get that catch in your throat as he crosses the street to college! Old habits and ideas of usefulness stay with us a long time.
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I love the part when you write, ” And you,
go on working,
moving,
living,
loving,
every day —
even without them.” I no longer have children at home and my children are grown, creating their own families. I love being a grandmother but I don’t want to get lost… so I love this part. It gives me hope.
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What a sweet timeline of the moments with your son and the different ways he needed you. “My chest squeezed,/my heart skipped a beat” is my favorite line because it applies to all of those moments. Congratulations on what the future holds for both of you.
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I’m not a mom, but I felt your feeling of loss as your son grew up. I’ve heard it said that being a parent is like having your heart walking around outside of your body. Your poem definitely conveyed that to me.
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