With her first child, a mom experiences every “first” for the very first time—the first contraction, the first sleepless night, the first overwhelming love, the first fever, the first step, the first day of school, and eventually… the first goodbye.

Back then, every milestone felt like a mountain to climb. I held on tightly, unsure of what lay ahead. The worry, the wonder, the fierce need to protect—it was all so raw.

I wrote this poem years ago when my eldest went on his first school trip in 2018. It was the first time I felt the ache of letting go.

Today, I revisited those words as I watched my third son leave for his own trip. It’s not his first. And it’s not mine, either.

What’s different now is the peace. The quiet trust that’s grown over time. The understanding that letting go doesn’t mean losing—it means loving with open hands.

Life has changed. Two of our children are already at university. Sometimes, it’s just one or two little ones at home. The noise shifts. The rhythm changes. Even my role as a mother changes. But the heart? It expands.

Here is the original poem—still true, still tender, but read now through a wiser lens.

A Toast to Another First

May 5, 2018

Where did the time go?
You were my baby just a few years ago!
But you have grown very fast,
And those days are now part of our past.

There you are on your first trip alone,
With ease, you move away from my comfort zone.
But my heart is filled with joy,
For you, my darling—my big boy!

I am so proud of you,
And all the amazing things you will do.
Travel, learn, and enjoy your time—
Escalate any mountain you need to climb.

Explore, examine, and rejoice;
Let the world hear your voice!
This first school voyage is for you to keep—
Memories of friendships that are genuinely deep.

I love you with all my heart;
I pray for your safety as we part.
Son, have a safe flight—
God’s with you with all His might.

Until we have you back in a week,
I give you endless kisses on every cheek.

Love,
Mom