Today is my son’s last full day of Elementary School. It’s a milestone. A marker he will remember probably for the rest of his life as moving from being a young child to a young man. The school he goes to has what they call a “Continuation Ceremony.” He will be giving a short speech today at the ceremony, and it says all the things that we know about time moving quickly, how hard work pays off and how giving back to the community is important. I will be in the audience crying, I’m sure.
Just as anyone might expect I’m proud of him. He’s worked really hard this year with a teacher that was hard-nosed and to be honest not always fair. He’s made real strides with his academics. He is headed to a Magnet school that required a lot of him to even get in. He is on the right path to a successful future, and he’s worked really hard to get there. We’ve both worked hard for him to do all that he’s done. It’s been fun and challenging both. I can’t wait to see how it all turns out.
Even so, I feel a little sadness with the excitement. In some way I feel as if I’m losing my little boy. I still have my wonderful son, but he’s not little anymore and this is the marker of that. It is the time where I stop holding his hand and just walk along side him. I will still be there to occasionally help him figure out bumps in the road, but not catch him every step of the way. That’s a silly analogy, but still somewhat fitting. It really feels like the first step of letting go so he can pursue his own life, and that’s hard for any parent. There are a number of steps left along the way before he’s independent and I suppose I can cling to those, but those markers will come and I will have to let go little by little until he’s on his own. It’s hard but necessary as so many of the parts of being a parent seem to be.
I know today I’m going to cry tears of joy, sadness and pride. I just won’t be able to help it, and even though it isn't about me it does feel like it just a little bit.
Just as anyone might expect I’m proud of him. He’s worked really hard this year with a teacher that was hard-nosed and to be honest not always fair. He’s made real strides with his academics. He is headed to a Magnet school that required a lot of him to even get in. He is on the right path to a successful future, and he’s worked really hard to get there. We’ve both worked hard for him to do all that he’s done. It’s been fun and challenging both. I can’t wait to see how it all turns out.
Even so, I feel a little sadness with the excitement. In some way I feel as if I’m losing my little boy. I still have my wonderful son, but he’s not little anymore and this is the marker of that. It is the time where I stop holding his hand and just walk along side him. I will still be there to occasionally help him figure out bumps in the road, but not catch him every step of the way. That’s a silly analogy, but still somewhat fitting. It really feels like the first step of letting go so he can pursue his own life, and that’s hard for any parent. There are a number of steps left along the way before he’s independent and I suppose I can cling to those, but those markers will come and I will have to let go little by little until he’s on his own. It’s hard but necessary as so many of the parts of being a parent seem to be.
I know today I’m going to cry tears of joy, sadness and pride. I just won’t be able to help it, and even though it isn't about me it does feel like it just a little bit.
DPS Shakespeare Festival May 2007 with his sister.
2 comments:
Big hugs and congrats to the boy. And that Kindergarten pic is adorable!!
Please congratulate G for me. That pic of him at Kgarden looks exactly like me at that age. This may explain why I feel proud too.
or maybe I overidentify?
nah.
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