It Never Gets Easier...

Here I am, the sappy mom on the first day of school. I comfort myself knowing that at least I wasn't the only one. I saw the tears well up and trickle down your faces. The tears we all held onto until we found our way back to the car. I saw how we all sent texts to Grandmas and Grandpas and husbands and fathers.

Simply put it just never gets easier to let your kids grow up. All the anxious thoughts running through our minds. Will they make new friends, will they like their teacher, or are the other kids going to make fun of them? Will they listen, will they enjoy learning, or will it be too hard? Different concerns for different kids, but it's always hardest for me when I send a new kindergartener, which I did today.

It's not all bad. We loved school shopping...mostly, we loved buying fun foods for lunches, and we liked visiting the classrooms and meeting the teachers.  Today reminded me of a small section in my book Family Ever After. Enjoy.

"Sometimes trusting and helping our loved ones succeed and rise to the occasion means that we must take action to prepare them and then give up some control and begin to trust in their abilities. I am always teasing my children that they need to stop growing up because I will miss them too much. It is exciting for me to watch them learn new things and see their personalities and talents develop, but there is always a part of me that wants to safely hide them in bubble wrap to preserve the sweetness of their childhood. This security can be appealing, but in reality it is both impossible and absurd. I ache inside when my children make poor choices, get made fun of, or fail. But if I don’t let them go, and support them along the way, they will never rise to the occasion of life.

I have realized my children’s lives are a constant repeat of that first day I dropped them off to kindergarten. It was exciting and scary for both of us. For the first time, I had to undo the bubble wrap because if I let it remain, it would inhibit their growth. With a tear rolling down my cheek, I hoped that both my and their preparation would be enough to succeed, enough to help them fit in, and enough for them to be happy. Hopefully, the love and care we present to our families will prepare them to succeed individually and as a whole.