Jenna Bush Hager just shared the most heartbreaking story about her daughter feeling homesick at sleepaway camp. It's so sweet and sad, and any parent who has sent their child away from home for a week can completely relate.
On Wednesday, Jenna read from the saddest letter ever that Mila, 8, sent to her and her husband, Henry. Jenna said the letter broke her heart "into a million pieces," and you'll see why.
The letter read, "Dear Mom and Dad, I miss you. I wish I could be with you," Jenna shared, as she read from her phone. "P.S. Daddy, how much longer 'til you pick me up? I miss you too much. I need to stop crying. So goodbye. I miss you terribly, Mom and Dad."
Any parent knows that when you send your child away from you, no matter what, it's always a leap of faith. It's nerve-wracking, but you hope for the best. Mostly, you hope it's not too scary or too painful.
Sometimes, it doesn't go as planned, though. While Mila was likely just having a rough moment of homesickness, getting that letter had to be tough on Jenna. As a mom, it's the opposite kind of letter you want to receive when your kid is away at camp. You just want to imagine that they're having a blast and not really thinking about home much at all.
Jenna is certainly a seasoned parent as a mom of three, but she expressed that this was a really tough moment. She said it made her so sad that she took a snapshot of the letter and sent it to her parents. She said her husband was so distraught he wanted to go and pick her up.
Jenna said that even though she was upset, too, she talked him out of it. "Henry goes, 'Should we just go? Should I just go get her?' I was like, 'No, she's fine,'" Jenna shared.
Jenna also recalled what an emotional experience it was when she dropped Mila off at camp. She said it was a mix of emotions, joy, sadness, and nostalgia because it was the same camp she went to as a child.
Jenna said they were both tearing up, but Mila expertly played it off as having sunscreen in her eyes. "It was just this feeling of … she's old! How is she old enough to go away from me for three weeks?" Jenna said.
Parenting is so bittersweet sometimes. Big moments like sending your kid to sleepaway camp are wonderful, but they can also bring about huge challenges. The hope is that everyone learns and grows from the experience, whether it's good or bad.
Luckily, Mila will be back home from camp soon enough. And chances are, after she wrote her desperate letter, she went back to having a pretty good time. Still, when you're a kid, being homesick feels rough, and clearly Mila knows how to get her point across.
She's definitely succeeding in breaking her parents' hearts, as well as all of ours. Hang in there, girl!
