I went one month without checking my daughter’s location

Dear Delyara, After my daughter left for university, I checked her location on my phone constantly. If the dot moved late at night, I called. If it stayed somewhere unfamiliar, I searched the address. She finally told me she felt followed by her own mother. My therapist helped me understand that tracking had become a way of feeding anxiety rather than keeping her safe. We agreed I would retain emergency access but stop routine checking. The first week felt unbearable. I wanted to open the app every hour. Today marks one month. My daughter called tonight because she wanted to tell me about a concert, not because I had interrogated where she was. Halfway through, I realized I had no idea exactly where she was standing. I knew only that she sounded happy. Breaking the habit has meant accepting that loving an adult child includes periods when I do not know which street contains her body.