Graduation Day
Going to my son’s graduation from middle school yesterday sparked a host of emotions for me. First, the obvious pride you feel when you see your “baby” reach another milestone in his life. You think back to when they were small kids. How adorable they were as babies, then toddlers, then nursery school students… That age,. . . so full of amazement at life in general.As my youngest, I was keenly aware that each milestone was a “last.” Last elementary school field trip, last elementary school graduation, last time in the elementary school period. Then, last time I took an excited and anxious 5th grader to “tour” the middle school, and teach him how to use a Master lock on his locker. And now, the last middle school graduation. As I celebrate this moment for what he has achieved, I can’t help feel that it’s bittersweet for me.
He seems like such a big kid now. Though he’s just 14 years old, it feels like he’s lived a lot already. Throwing himself into his music has been a joy to watch. He loves how music makes him feel, and I love to share his joy with him. Then he was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease at 12 years old. That was a tough time for all of us. Thankfully, he’s doing well, and has been resilient and dedicated to do whatever is necessary for treatment. It’s been quite a transition from that little boy to now, a young adult, entering high school. You see their personalities develop and you try to see where they’re headed. You can’t see into the future, of course, no one can, but you struggle to see a little bit down their path, and hope it’ll be smooth for them. So, on this graduation day, I look at him with much love and pride as he enters a new phase of his life, one that will hopefully, be filled with good health, happiness and continued success in high school and beyond.
