As part of my kids' preparation for their b'nai mitzvah ceremony, they had to go to a few Torah study questions. I have attended the sessions with them and really have liked those discussions. The rabbis from my congregation have done a really good job at reading the text, understanding that what was written thousands of years ago needs to be interpreted through a modern lens, and help us apply a lesson to our every day lives.
The most recent section of the Torah talked about the Sabbath and why we rest. There was a discussion about why G-d, who can do anything and is all powerful, would need to take a day of rest. Lots of people had a lot of theories and one in particular stuck with me.
The rabbi who was teaching that day talked about how writers create plays and stories, artists create songs, paintings, and sculptures, and everyone (at some point) writes reports, essays, speeches, and even emails. We could keep working on those things forever since there can always be a way to add one more note, brush stroke, or graph. But if we are constantly working on our projects, never stepping back from it, we never share our work with the world and let it come to life.
The rabbi took that concept one step further and applied it to our kids. We can parent our kids forever. We can "work" on them and continue to try to mold them into what we want but will we every feel like our work is done? I doubt it. At some point we have to let go and allow what we have created to enter the world so that others can get joy from them.
It's hard as a parent to let go. But it's also the way to see that all the hard work that we do as parents has paid off. My kids are on the verge of adulthood and it's both scary to let them go and exciting to see them go. Of course I want them to experience the world, but maybe a better thought is that it would be a shame if the world didn't experience them.
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