The Moment You’ve Been Waiting For
So there it is, the moment you thought you’d been waiting for, looking forward to, working so hard to achieve. And then when it finally arrives all you can think is: “Is it really already time?” By now you may be wondering just what I’m talking about. One of the biggest milestones a young person hits is High School Graduation and moving out. Many times these two things will not happen one right after the other. It could be months before both happen. That is not the case in our house.
Blended Families Mean Blended Outcomes
So let’s get real about the first of the two milestones mentioned above. It’s something that parents often joke about, saying they can’t wait until their child graduates and joins the real world. Truth be told, those feelings suddenly change once that first day of senior year rolls around. You are smacked square in the face by your own reality. You are abruptly reminded of the fact that your “little one” isn’t so little anymore. You are also reminded that they don’t need you like they once did and soon will be making decisions 100% on their own. Even though I felt the tug on my heart back in August when the initial realization hit me, I managed to hold it together pretty well for the entirety of the school year. That has changed and I have been flooded with emotions this past week.
Let’s Get Honest for a Sec
I going to be completely transparent here, I started writing this post at least 5 times and would only get a sentence into it before my eyes would well up and I could feel the tears about to fall. My first born is a sweet, yet keeps-to-himself, 17-year-old young man. Although he doesn’t share his feelings very often, it has always been a well-known fact that once he graduated high school that he planned to move in with his father. While I would love for him to stay here, I completely understand and accept that moving in with his father is a smart decision. See his father lives less than 10 miles away from the University my son plans to attend. So the decision frees him up from having to live on campus and alleviates a large financial responsibility from everyone involved.
So the question always was, when? When would he pack his bags and head south? When would he move on to his next adventure? That answer has changed a time or two in the recent months. First it was “that weekend after graduation” and that was later followed by “maybe not for a few weeks” and the last and latest response is “sometime this week”. Sadly I have to say that we are finally at that time. He graduated just 2 days ago. Some of his belongings have already made the trek to his father’s house with more soon to follow. Luckily he doesn’t have to have a date set in stone as his father only lives an hour away, but that doesn’t make it any easier on this momma’s heart.
Trust That You Have Raised Them Right
Although I know he will be safe and his needs will be met, there is nothing better than seeing him daily and not having to wonder. But then again, this is the moment that I have been preparing us both for during the last, almost, 18 years. I now have to trust that I taught him the things he needs to know to be, somewhat, on his own and trust that he was paying attention when I was trying to teach him these things.
My Advice
I feel confident in saying that he was paying attention, that he is going to make the right decisions and follow his path. So now I have to just sit back and let my little bird fly. Will there be tears in the coming days and weeks? Yes, I am sure of that if nothing else. But there will also be moments where I remind him just how proud I am of him. Moments that will be burned into both of our memories forever. If there is one bit of advice I can give from this time in my life it is this: Don’t let moments pass you by without telling those closest to you how you feel about them. Remind your children every chance you get how much you love them and how grateful you are to be their parent. Don’t let those moments pass you by. Soak each one up, because before you know it, they won’t be little anymore.
Do you have children in high school or maybe your’s have also “left the nest”? What advice would you give to someone going through it? Are there things that you wish you would have done differently? Drop your advice or thoughts in the comments down below. Now excuse me while I go grab another Kleenex.
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