“Parenting is about swallowing hard and staying soft-and mastering the art of letting go and holding on and letting come what comes.”- Ann Voskamp
Man…oh man…this is a post that I am really having a hard time wrapping my mind around! My tears started flowing a year before Owen started kindergarten…letting him go to school all day every day…and now he is heading to high school! I guess you can say that letting go of each stage is tough for me.
And here we are on the brink of my baby girl finishing up elementary school. The cliche saying of “The days are long but the years are short” is one of the truest statements I’ve ever heard!
My daughter is so special, has a heart of gold and has taken challenges that she’s been faced with with grace. She’s navigated being the “new kid” at school a few times but has fit right in everywhere she’s gone. We tried a hybrid homeschool (that was much harder than expected as she missed being with friends on days at home) and she jumped into her 5th grade year by running for Class President!
I have always loved school…as a child, I would cry on the last day of school…and of course grew up to become a teacher. So letting go of the elementary years are sad for me-the class field trips to the pumpkin patch, the parties filled with treats and little crafts…and of course one of my favorites, the musicals. One of the highlights of my children’s schooling has been at Walnut Grove Elementary and their school musicals. I will treasure those memories in my heart forever.
Like every season, the middle school years will have their ups and downs. We will take them one day at a time. A wise friend once told me in these tween/teen years, your child needs you to be their biggest cheerleader. So, that’s what I’m going to do! I’ll be on the sidelines praying for them and being their advocate all along the way. I miss holding them in my arms and rocking them to sleep but I don’t want to miss these years either…because they’ll be gone too in another blink!