Letting Go and Allowing Them to Soar

“Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them: for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Mark 10:14.

Have you ever had to let go of something or someone you loved deeply? You didn’t want to let go, but knew you had to. Maybe you had to sell a house you loved because you could no longer afford it, or you needed to upsize or downsize. Maybe you had to give away a beloved pet because it wasn’t the right time to keep it. Maybe you broke up with a boyfriend or girlfriend because their life was going in a different direction than yours. Maybe you had to drop a child off at college (near or far). Maybe your child moved halfway across the country to pursue his or her dreams. No matter what the case, it is not an easy thing to do. In fact, often it may be the hardest thing you’ve had to do.

This past week, our daughter Bailee and Tristan moved 1,856 miles away from home. Small town USA living was all they have ever known. Yes, both have traveled to various places. In fact, it has been Bailee’s love for travel that has been her driving factor and it is what has given her the itch to move. Traveling has given her a zest for adventure and the eagerness to explore what this great big world has to offer. We always knew Bailee would want to move away and try living in new places. She deeply explored states that had a warmer climate, lots of adventure activities near, and of course great places for a nurse to work.

Mayo Clinic came up in Jacksonville, Florida as a great place to work. Jacksonville flagged as a city that continues to vastly grow and a great place to live. The location is great. It is within eight hours of Nashville, two hours of Savannah Georgia, an hour from

Daytona, two hours from Orlando, and four hours from Tampa. These are a few that stick out as adventurous places that are close. Bailee interviewed and the benefits alone were some I have never heard offered, especially in the healthcare industry. When they offered her a job, she knew it was her destiny. She talked with Tristan, and although obviously a bit nervous, he agreed to move across the country with her.

They left on June 21, 2022, with a U-Haul packed full of their belongings and big dreams in their heart. They picked up their friend Destiny in Fargo so they had sn extra driver. They had a bit of U-Haul troubles in Illinois, but they were able to get it fixed and we’re back on the road several hours later. They arrived in Jacksonville June 23, 2022, in the late morning. They drove nearly straight through, only stopping for a few hours to sleep at night. They were exhausted but once they got their apartment keys, they began hauling their belongings into their new home.

Mark and I flew out on June 23, 2022, to help them unload. Traveling right now by plane ✈️ is more than a ridiculous nightmare. The airline staff shortage is causing thousands of flights around the world to be canceled daily. We knew this when we booked airline tickets to Jacksonville to help the kids move. We booked directly with the airline and made sure it was big name airline because we were told these were our best chances. We also chose as few connections as possible, to fly out as early as possible, and to allow plenty of time in between connections. Despite all of this, we had our flight canceled on the way while we were in Minneapolis. Our flight was canceled around 2pm. There were no flights to Jacksonville until the next day and not getting in until 10 or 11 pm. There were no flights the same day anywhere within four hours of Jacksonville. We had to take a flight leaving the next day to Orlando. This is a little over 2 hours from Jacksonville but was our only option. This meant a night in a hotel in Minneapolis. We were thankful that I have family in Minneapolis. Sheila and Ron were able to pick us up at our hotel and we were able to spend the evening with them, nephews Stephen and Dylan, Dylan’s fiancé Meg. Setbacks sometimes turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

Our flight the next morning was on time, and we made it to Orlando. Tristan picked us up and we arrived in Jacksonville shortly after 2pm. The kids had unloaded everything from the U-Haul except the big things. We were able to help get the rest moved and put away in their new apartment. That evening I received a text that our return flights were on time for Monday June 27. Saturday morning, we got up and were on our way out the door to eat brunch and I got a text that our return flights were canceled for Monday. They had rebooked us but had us with four different connections and not getting into Grand Forks until 1 am on Tuesday. We were originally arriving 12:40 pm On Monday the 27th. I found better flights, but we still had three connections, which meant a potential for more flight cancellations and the potential of being stranded somewhere in between. We made the most of our days with the kids. We lost nearly a full day, but Mark and I both agree that we made up the time. We stayed up late each night putting things away, hanging things up, and organizing things. We went out to eat at some restaurants with amazing food. We went out for ice cream every day, making sure it was a different place each time. We went to the beach twice as they are within 15 minutes from Jax beach. We were able to walk in the white sand, wade our feet in the warm Atlantic Ocean, and collect some seashells for decoration in their apartment. We were also able to spend a few hours on Saturday and Sunday afternoon hanging out by their beautiful pool. We even grilled steaks poolside. We also drove around the Mayo Clinic campus, also within 10-15 minutes from their apartment.

Beach themed bathroom. Destiny , Tristan, Bailee

My dad’s old popcorn machine that Bailee inherited. Makes great popcorn 🍿 !

Tristan’s oak cabinet with all of his collectible race cars.

With the rescheduling of our flights, we were due to fly out of Jacksonville at 5 am June 27, 2022. We didn’t want the kids to have to get up and drop us off by 3:30 am so we all chose to stay up late. we finished putting some things on the walls and we made some popcorn in the popcorn machine Bailee took that used to be my dad’s. We waited Until midnight and then the kids took us to the airport. The good-bye was not easy, and tears were shed by us all. It was hard to let go, but it was also necessary. “To raise a child who, is comfortable enough to leave you means you’ve done your job. They are not ours to keep, but to teach how to soar on their own.”

Soar high baby girl, soar high! We know that you will do so many amazing things in your lifetime, career and personal. Always remember that we are only a phone call away. Home is not a specific place yet, it is a story of who we are. Home is where love resides, memories are created, friends always belong, and laughter never ends. Wherever you reside, may it always be home. We love you to the moon and back!