Last Day of School for the Mom of a Junior in High School

Grant and his best buddy walking around in Time Square, NYC during a band trip...a dream come true for him...a foreshadow of a life to come, perhaps...

This morning I witnessed my sweet boy's last walk to catch the school bus as a junior in High School.  I watched him as he walked all the way up the road in front of our house until he disappeared on the other side of the bend.  The familiar long strides of his legs, his measured pace, hands on the straps of his almost empty backpack, Avengers T-Shirt, jeans and Converse tennis shoes, I wanted to etch that image where it would live forever in a protected corner of my brain...

I fought back tears as I reminded myself that I better cherish these moments for they are dwindling.  Next year, Grant will be a Senior.  That statement says it all.  Any person who has gone through this before knows the avalanche of feelings that very thought provokes in a parent's heart.  Anyone who has seen a child grow up and become an adult knows the melancholy the soul experiences watching them transforming in front of one's eyes...

It is certainly a joy to know they are doing what they are supposed to do:  grow up.  It is also a cause for mixed feelings as the reality of change tinges our spirit with the blue hues of sadness...because it is a change that we are never prepared to face: no more afternoons quietly reading a book in his favorite corner of the house; no more video game marathons with his baby brother; no more watching movies every weekend-night at home; no more Saturday morning leisurely breakfasts; no more rushed mornings, kisses, hugs, blessings and "have a good day at school today" rituals...and who knows what other "no mores" in store...

I still have one more year to delight in my son's last moments of childhood.  I still have one more year before he is in a hurry to leave our home, leave childish ways behind, leave High School, leave us, leave me...but my heart goes out to the Moms out there who today are having their very last day of school with their child...not an easy day at all.

As we contemplate the future of our kids, I lift up a prayer for all parents, that we may rejoice in the knowledge that the Lord has these moments in His hand, and that we may remember that He loves our kids even more than we do.  Therefore, we need not fear what's ahead, for He goes before them and He knows their very step.  He fearfully and carefully made them, and He will never let go...as He never lets go of us either.  We are His precious children, and we know how that feels...we understand what that's like...  Hugs and Amen!