A midrash on Genesis 21:8-21
The day that my dad sent us away was really hard. My mother kept her face stony and strong as long as we were in the camp, acted as though this was what she wanted all along, ever since she ran away years ago. But then, when we were far enough away from all of Abraham’s household, she broke down in tears. I tried to comfort her, get her to sit down, take a rest, have a drink of water, but she refused. She just kept walking and angry crying until all the tears were gone. When she stopped crying, she stopped still to drink some water, and then she spoke.
“You are no servant, Ishmael. You are the father of nations. Remember that.”
I stood silent, not knowing how to react to that statement in that moment, in the middle of no where, with no home and no plans for the future.