Hello friends!! I’m proud of myself tonight- I’m here because I committed to myself that I would be. And I followed through!

This piece of music means a lot to me, and I am excited to share it with you.

Somewhere around the beginning of the year, I started working on “Let Her Fly.” I was reflecting on my relationship with my parents and specifically drew from experiences from my childhood like walking up the hill behind our white farm house to find the first buttercups in the Spring (verse 1) and a moment my Mom remembers watching me walk up toward campus and feeling that “she’ll be okay” (verse 3). I thought about the process of letting an adult fully have the opportunity to spread their wings and fly- and the gradual letting go that a parent does over many years (though a mother and father will never fully grow out of their role and I’m grateful for many times my parents have stepped in for a period to help more intensely after letting me fly initially!).

After writing over half of this song, in the middle of preparing my oldest son to leave home, I realized that I was now writing this song about my relationship with my son and was processing the letting go that I was currently experiencing. Wow the power of music to help us through challenging, new experiences! Suddenly instead of the little girls I write about in verse 1, I was picturing little boys (I have 3!) and memories would drift through my mind (and sometimes tears) as I sang to myself about letting go…letting him go…(You’ll notice I decided to keep it “Let Her Fly” – since that’s how I started it and it felt too complicated to change it!).

Eventually it was time to say goodbye to my son who was ready to leave home. There at the airport, standing with the suitcases in a moment by myself, I considered what I wanted to say in our final moments before he walked off into the distance- what one last thing he would hear from me (for now!). I immediately knew what I wanted to say and the tears came to the surface quickly. How silly of me to think I might not cry! A minute later in that last big hug, I told him, “I guess all that’s left to say is ‘I love you’ and ‘you’re so ready for this.'”

The last part of the song is tender for me to listen back to. I worked on the vocals after my son left, and it gave me a chance to process, especially in this bridge section: “I’ll always be here, loving you so- loving you enough to let you go…” And then the final chorus starts. The timid, shaky vocals here represent the Mother (me! but also any of you who have experienced this!) feeling the pain of the separation. Even though she knows it’s the very best thing for this child and she’s SO happy for him, the separation from this boy she loves is painful! As the chorus continues, she gains momentum and strength. He can do this. I can do this. He- and I- will be okay. I can let him fly.

Enjoy!

A special thanks to my amazing piano arranger and pianist (you are hearing her playing the piano in the recording!), Shari Orme!

Lyrics, Composition, Vocals, String arrangement, Recording, Mixing and Mastering by Laura Harper