I Sent My Son to the Other Side of the World — and He Didn’t Look Back

How I Learned the Hardest Lesson About Love

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Today I put my son on a plane by himself and sent him to the other side of the world. A boarding pass in one hand, his carry-on in the other. He didn’t look back. And I didn’t call out after him.

Truth be told, it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but also one of the most necessary.

As a father, you spend years holding their hands, steadying their steps, and offering advice they sometimes don’t even want. But then comes a moment when you realize that the best thing you can do is let go.

That’s what today was.

I am both happy and sad.

The Paradox of Letting Go

We often think of parenting as guiding, teaching, and protecting. And it is. But another part of parenting — one no one really warns you about — is the letting go. Letting go of control, of proximity, of the illusion that you can keep them safe from every danger.

As Christians, we’re reminded that our children aren’t really ours. Psalm 127:3 calls them “a heritage from the Lord,” a gift we steward but don’t own. Today, I had to live out that truth. Watching my son board that plane was a…