Give them roots.
Then watch them fly.
Hope and encouragement for all the letting go moments of motherhood.
After congratulating a friend who was about to become a grandma, I confessed that I couldn’t imagine that season of life when I was still adjusting to having a new driver in the house.
With heartfelt sincerity, she shared all the joy that was awaiting me in the seasons yet to come; ones she knew from lived experience. I tucked her words away, not knowing how often I would return to them during the times I needed them most. Like college drop-off.
As tears streamed down my face while flying 1,418 miles away from my firstborn son, the hope and encouragement of that single conversation, carried me through the days that followed — and led me to write the first edition of Roots & Wings as a blog.
Almost a decade later, Roots and Wings is a short, illustrated book. Though this is my story, I hope you see yours in it, too. The tangled emotions of letting go of our kids are woven into life as a mom.
Now, after launching three sons, welcoming two daughter-in-laws, and cradling my first granddaughter, our youngest is about to graduate from college. Alongside that milestone, we eagerly await the arrival of two more grandchildren later this year.
New seasons. New joy. New pain. Through it all, the goodness of God remains.
Being a mom is one of the best — and hardest — things we ever do. I wouldn’t change a minute of it. I pray the same is true for you.
Because rooted kids are made to fly.
The story behind the story.
Author, Heidi Zwart, is the founder of StoryMatters Creative, a small web design and copywriting agency. In 2017, she published her first book, It Began in the Garden, an award-winning Christian book that dives into the Genesis narrative to explore our shared struggle for physical, emotional, and spiritual health.
An avid writer, Heidi has written hundreds of articles on health and wellness, behavior design, and the human experience.
With a master’s degree in counseling, she writes with a deep understanding of emotions, relationships, and the interwoven connection of our choices to our wellbeing.
Are you a high school or university interested in offering Roots & Wings to mothers of grads?
Special gift editions of Roots & Wings are available to order at a discount for high school graduations or college drop-off week. Retail partnerships are also welcome.
