Letting go is extremely tough—especially for a mom. Add to that being a mom of three boys—OMG—it’s almost impossible. We want to protect them at all times. If I could wrap them in bubble wrap—heck yeah, I would. But I know that as they grow, I’ll need to let them go.
Never was this more evident than when my husband, Sunny, decided he wanted to climb Mount Everest as part of his 50th birthday celebrations. He wasn’t climbing to the peak (as he assured me), just to base camp. “Well, that’s so much better,” I lied to myself.
Now, I was not going to go up. That had nothing to do with my abilities and everything to do with the facilities. You see, I’m not a roughing-it type of girl. Nope. Camping, glamping—whatever you want to call it—if it’s outdoors and I need to spend the night there, it’s not happening. Period.
I do love outdoor sports and hiking, so while I’d enjoy the day trips, a nine-day excursion was too much for me. So I had to make a decision: do I let my husband go alone, or do I allow—and let’s be clear, I did allow—my oldest son to go with his father?
There are days I question that decision, but yes, I did go and ask my son—who is 22 now, a certified EMT, and captain of his fire department—if he would go with his dad. Obviously, he was like, “Sure.”
At the beginning, I don’t think he was as excited—or maybe the word is enthusiastic—about the idea, but he was happy to go. Especially since I wasn’t. I think, for my own peace of mind, I felt better knowing someone was with Sunny on the trip.
But once I said it out loud and my son got excited and started training—there was no turning back. This was a great opportunity for father and son, and I knew they would take care of one another.
Still, I’ll be honest—I have second-guessed myself the entire time and will probably continue to do so until they are back home in my arms again.
I love my Sunster dearly. I wanted someone to be with him to make sure he was OK. I love my kids more than anything in the entire world. And, as any mother will say: our children are our true loves. So here they go—the loves of my life—up the largest mountain in the world. What’s there to worry about? 😔
They assure me there’s nothing wrong with going up to Everest. There’s a group of 11 of them. But as a mother, I keep thinking to myself—what did I do?
Then I see the look on my son’s face as he trains with his dad. They’re buying all their hiking gear, preparing for nine-mile walks, packing together, and discussing their plans for the trek. And I think to myself: Yeah, this was the right decision.
That doesn’t mean I’ll stop worrying. They start Day One tomorrow. They’ve made it to Nepal, flown up to Lukla where they’ll begin hiking. They’ve already taken a helicopter ride in Nepal—can we say heart palpitations? But I’m OK.
I have to let go. I have to trust that they’re both capable and strong, and that they’ll support one another throughout this entire journey.
Because sometimes, we have to let go.
I’m not going to lie—it’s hard. And it hurts. But I’ve learned that beauty can come from letting go.
The way I’ve seen Sunny and Sahib bond over this shared experience—it’s wonderful to witness. They help each other, motivate each other. It’s one-on-one bonding time—albeit a dangerous one—that they’ll cherish forever.
How could I keep that from my child? And how could I ever take that away from my husband?
Yes, I may spend the next 11 days in a state of minor cardiac arrest, but the joy on their faces and the memories they’ll share for a lifetime will be worth it.
They need to experience these precious moments of life together—without me there to protect them. But hopefully, I’ve taught them well, and they’ll be safe. I know they will—just as I know I’ll let go and not have to lecture them every single day on safety precautions. Well… maybe every other day. I am a mom, after all.
The point is—sometimes, we want to protect people, thinking we need to save them. But what I’ve realized is this: sometimes, we have to let them go in order for them to build new experiences of their own.
It’s not easy. We need to let them go to grow.
But I’m so glad they did it… for now. 😊
