Joanna Gaines Just Shared Her Most Heartbreaking Family News Yet originally appeared on Parade.
Joanna Gaines has shared deeply emotional family news, revealing that her household is facing a major change. The Magnolia Table star admitted she’s in a state of “breathless surrender” as her life and the lives of those she loves most undergo a profound shift. She reflected on how quickly time is passing and how bittersweet this new chapter feels.
The designer turned to Instagram to share a heartfelt message, admitting she isn’t ready to step into this new chapter. The mother of five opened up about the emotions that come with an ongoing series of life-changing moments that have rocked the Gaines household.
She wrote, “They told me it would go by quicker than I think. That the days are slow but the years are fast. And darn it if they were right. This beautiful gift of time has roared past us all just like I was told.”
Her two eldest children with Chip Gaines, Drake, 20, and Ella, 18, are at the center of her thoughts at the moment, as they spread their wings and head off to college. She continued, “My oldest son left for his third year of college while my oldest daughter packs for her first year across the country. This season already feels like one big, breathless surrender.”
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The Magnolia head added, “Lord, how do I hold them close while also letting go? Help me to embrace change with a heart filled with hope for the part I know to be truer than the rest; my kids and I may have been made for each other, but I also believe they were made for more. More experiences, more knowledge, more growing than could ever happen within our walls. “
She concluded, “To all the parents packing up and moving kids to new places, and to all those with years still to spare: hold them close, hold them well, and let’s all lean on each other when the time comes to hold it together.”
Joanna and Chip are also parents to Duke, 17, Emmie, 15, and Crew, 7. Just like many other families this time of year, the Gaines’s will have to adjust as their household grows a little bit smaller.
To PEOPLE Magazine, the designer admitted that watching her daughter leave the nest is different than when her oldest went to college. She admitted, “With Ella, we love to go to antiques shops, plant shops, and go get coffee — that’s our rhythm. I kind of feel like I’m losing a friend in my everyday life.”
Joanna Gaines stars in the Magnolia Network cooking series Magnolia Table and the series Mini Reni.
Joanna Gaines Just Shared Her Most Heartbreaking Family News Yet first appeared on Parade on Aug 11, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
