Is detachment from loved ones' wellbeings realistically achievable by laity?

I know that there are several stories of monks and nuns leaving behind their families and even young children. However, how realistic is it to live among people and detach from them while in that environment? Also, all the stories of monks/nuns leaving behind their children stem from sayings/religious text. How realistic is it in general to overcome attachment to people? As answers, anecdotes would suffice