Parental Love: Learning to Let Go

When children mature, it’s time for parents to step back

My son’s last visit was during Chinese New Year, several months ago. He rarely reaches out, and I often find myself calling him under various pretenses just to hear about his life.

Lately, I’ve found myself cautious about contacting him, worried about being too intrusive.

His typical response to my calls is a curt, “Mom, what’s up? I’m busy!” His tone, brimming with impatience, quashes my enthusiasm, so I try to call him during the evenings when he’s less likely to be busy. Yet, I suspect he’s often just playing video games.

My husband frequently inquires if our son has called, clearly missing him. Yet, our son would only reach out to me with issues, never to his father, leaving my husband to rely on me for updates.

I often remind our son to call his father occasionally. Even a brief chat would delight him, just to hear his voice.

Unfortunately, our son seems oblivious to our feelings and the depth of our concern for him.

It’s been six months since he last called his father, and his calls to me are just as infrequent — a testament to the universal struggles of parenthood.

Fearing that I might disturb him, I usually send messages instead, often left…