As a teacher, I always felt the thrill of excitement as the new school year approached. I would spend the last few weeks of summer setting up my classroom in preparation for the upcoming year. I bought school supplies and eagerly awaited the opportunity to use them.
This year Mother’s Day Out is just around the corner and we purchased a lunchbox for our son. We wanted to give him the opportunity to practice eating from it before he started school. It was so exciting to pick out a fun pattern for him. However, I wasn’t prepared for the flood of emotions that overcame me when I took it out of the package. The realization that he is no longer a baby and would start school soon made me cry.
I now view the upcoming school year through an entirely different lens. As a mother, I am watching my baby grow up too quickly. He’s not far from exiting toddlerhood and entering preschooler age. Can someone please hand me a tissue? This is a bittersweet season as my heart is both sad and excited at the same time. Since day one he’s been on a quest for independence and now I must let go a little bit more as he continues to develop these skills.
This leaves me with about a month before he will put on his backpack and go to his first classroom. There’s still time to play outside with sidewalk chalk and bubbles. Many more opportunities to build roads and tracks for his vehicles. Several more afternoons to sit together and read his favorite books. Plenty of time to squeeze in a few more adventures together as a family this summer.
Many of my friends and family members told me before he was born to soak up and enjoy every moment with him. No truer words were ever spoken than the days are long, but the years are short. This summer will close this chapter and the upcoming school year will begin a new one in his life. I hope that I can be present in each moment and enjoy every bit of time I have with him this summer.
For more reflections from my heart, check out Make Memories.
