Back-to-School: Bittersweet

It’s Back-to-school season and my social media feeds are filled with cute kiddos headed off for their first day. Kudos to the parents who made it through the summer months! I know what it’s like to send them back to school for the fall, thinking of the busy mornings, office commutes and afternoon pick ups make, both sentimental and I'm relieved that it’s y’all this time around, not me lol!

I’ve also seen lots of posts about “last, first day of school,” with crying face emoji’s ‘cause parents are in disbelief that their sweet babies are no longer babies and realizing their time at home is winding down and coming to an end. Can definitely relate!

(Look at my littles all greased up and ready for back to school season many years ago)

I'll never forget the time, my oldest son, Trey, on the last day of his junior year excitedly jumped out of his car and enthusiastically announced “mom, I'm officially a senior!” To which, I responded with a sad face and fake (real) tears. He quickly gathered me and told me “ I don’t know why you’re sad, you should be happy for me.” He couldn’t have been more right. It was a time for celebration and realization that we, my ex-husband and I, had produced an amazing human being who would soon be prepared to fly.

Talk about a mindset shift.

So, I’m here to encourage you to celebrate all the hard work you’ve done in raising incredible human beings. Trust that your parenting has yielded ripened fruit, pray that they will continue along the foundation you’ve built and let them fly! If you’re struggling to let go, try to remember when you were eighteen and about to leave home- it wasn’t that long ago.

Grab a bit of their excitement and dream with them about their next big adventure!