Trying to form good-bye thoughts and own my feelings for my Grace......

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Grace is leaving soon.  She graduates next week, and then has 3 more sleeps before we put her on a plane for home.  She will spend the summer with her family and friends in South Korea and then fly to Buffalo, New York for college in the fall.  I am really bad at good-bye.  I am great with "welcome!".....but tonight my heart is breaking because I am thinking about sending her off.  I think I have abandonment issues or something.  I hate good-bye.  

Grace is in an application process for a leadership group in Buffalo.  She wrote her application, and then had a phone interview and there is more yet for her to do before she learns if she has been accepted to this "club" or not.  She told me that she spoke of our family in her interview and said that we taught her to be a risk-taker.  Really?  Really?  This teen who flew across the globe to do her junior and senior years in the US, was willing to join our family for her senior year.  She is an only child with parents who both work  .....and she quietly entered this family last August........but look here.  She is right there in the middle of it all.  That's my risk-taker, Grace.  She is not my daughter by birth or adoption, but she is my daughter in my heart.  I will miss her so, so much.  

Grace is the last child to join our family and the first to leave it.  I dare to ask tonight......Grace.....how are we doing?  What will you leave with?  What have we done to help you and point you in the direction of your destiny in Jesus?  You are so talented,and so smart and so close to the Father God's heart.......He loves you so, so much.....and you have so much to offer the world.  I hope we helped you in that.  

We know we will see you again.  This is not good-bye but more like "see ya later"....but I need to say tonight that you have given me so much more than I ever expected when we agreed to be a host family for you.  I respect you.  I admire you.  I believe in you, Grace.  Hechoon Jeung.....I am so proud of you.  I will miss you a lot.  Keep drawing and painting.  Keep loving.  Keep believing in the best in people and let go of your hurts when you saw their worst.  Someday you will make an amazing wife and mother and friend and mentor to other young girls.....and I will say over and over again that you are important.  You are loved.  You are smart.  You are worthy.  You are a blessing.  

I will enjoy my last 10 days with you before you leave....and I will cry a bit because we will all miss you so much.  You make our home better.  You make me better.  You will be missed.  But please, please go home and love your parents and enjoy your summer and be a teen-ager who earned the ability to sleep in and play and party and not study for awhile.  Enjoy you friends and being silly and recklessly abandoned in your youth and potential.....please.  That is the best gift you can give me....and this crazy family who now claims you as our own.....have fun, Grace.  Be a risk-taker and a lover of people and an artist and a faithful worshipper of Jesus Christ.  You always have a second home here.....and we will always squeal with delight when you come in the door.  

Finish this chapter well, sweet heart.  I will try really hard to be brave as you do. 

Comments

  1. UnknownMay 19, 2016 at 5:42 PM

    Six kids looks just right on you & Roger, so definitely not good bye to Grace. She will always be your 6th child. Blessings to all!

    ReplyDelete

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