If there is one piece of advice I could give my 30 year old self when I held my baby boy in my arms it would be, “Trust the process of growing up.” So many times we want to take the reigns and control every situation for our children. It’s because we love them and want to protect them, I get it, but letting go and trusting the process has been my joyful yet scary journey as a mom.
This month, I witnessed my son, who works tirelessly at being a stronger football player, accept an award. The award is given to a member of his high school's football team, to someone who represents what the team is all about both on and off the field. He did this all on his own, found his place, navigated it himself. This kid has figured it out and I am beyond grateful to the football program for being such a strong force in his life.
Who would have thought my teenage son would end up teaching me a life lesson? If I had tried to design a perfect life for my son, held his hand every step of the way, and never let him push the limits, he wouldn’t have turned out this way. He had to discover his own goals, create his own values, build himself up. In moments I doubted the growing process, he trusted it.
This scary practice of trusting the growing process has taken root in my art as well. When I start a new piece, I don’t know precisely how it’s going to turn out. It can be intimidating. But I feel the inspiration behind the piece, I have an idea of the direction I’m headed in, I provide myself with tools, space, and time. Then, the most important part — the moment of letting go and trusting the process. It can be terrifying, yes. But also, so incredibly rewarding. Thank you, Parker, for being my inspiration.