Last night at 7:30 p.m. I received a phone call that every parent dreads. It was from our youngest son, Jon, who just left for college in August. Well into my first trimester of the “empty-nest” phase, I was feeling confident I had passed the first hurdle with flying colors. Then the words, “Mom, I got hurt.” Visions of disaster poured into my mind of our child lying in a foreign hospital bed with no one to comfort him. Jon is passionate about sports: rock climbing, skiing, snowboarding, and tennis. What was it this time—a stray tennis ball? “Jon, what did you do?” Thankfully, he was lucid and able to explain in detail what happened. He said, “I was playing Ultimate Frisbee and got tackled—hitting my head on the ground. They think I have a concussion.” My overworked and tired brain turned to Jello! I couldn’t comprehend what I was hearing—this was his third concussion in a year’s time. Would his brain also turn to Jello? “I gotta go—I’ll call you later.” I prayed, “Lord this is our beloved son—please take care of him.” I fell asleep around 1:00 a.m. with my Bible and phone clutched to my chest.” I was awakened shortly afterwards and grabbed the phone on the second ring. Sweet words to a mother’s heart: “Mom, I’m okay—they sent me ‘home,’ I’ll talk to you tomorrow—I gotta go.” A dial tone filled the silence. “Home” was now the dorm room—not the place of comfort we created for him over the past 19 years. We gave him roots and now we were giving him wings—to pursue his passion! I passed my first test “How to Let your Children Go—101” Did I get a passing grade? I hope so! Although we can’t always be there physically, we can be there with our prayers. “Lord, you are the great protector—keep an eye on this child of ours.” Jon, will always be passionate about sports—we can’t keep him from it—but we can pray God’s protection on him. Passion—an intense emotion, a compelling desire—it can change our lives and those around us! (At the time of this writing, Jon is being sent a helmet!)