My oldest son, G, graduated from preschool yesterday. It was quite the event. The preschool has been in existence for 50 years, and this was their 48th and final graduating class. Miss Nancie, at 71 years old, decided to take the plunge into retirement. Needless to say, there were a lot of emotions.
I didn’t think I would be so emotional. It was only preschool, after all. It’s not like G’s going away to college next year. But, as I listen to parents of older kids, I realize it’s not that far off.
Once children come into our lives, we, as parents, all come to the realization that it’s not about us anymore. Whether we like it or not, we are suddenly responsible for another human being. We must feed them, shelter them, keep them clean and teach them how to get through life. Up to this point, I’ve had control over everything that G does. Now that he’s about to turn 5 and go to Kindergarten in the fall, everything is changing.
Suddenly, I have to be at screening appointments for 10:00am on a Tueday. (Not so convenient for a working mom.) He’s eligible to sign up for various activities, and he’s expressing interest in said activities. This summer, we have tennis, tee-ball and swimming lessons.
My husband and I, luckily, have pretty flexible and family-friendly jobs. So, we can adjust schedules and juggle things pretty well. It’s interesting to take a glimpse into the future though. As we took pictures of he and his best buddy, his buddy’s mom commented that the picture we were taking was for their future high school year book. That’s when it got a little emotional.
I’m so proud of everything G’s done in his almost 5 years of existence, and I can’t wait to see what he can accomplish as he gets older. G lead his class down the aisle yesterday. Unbeknownst to me, he also had a duet with another girl in the musical performance part of the graduation. (I mentioned it was quite the production. There was a cowboy theme and an intermission involved.) The other performances involved 4 – 8 kids. After his performance, I think I might have to add musical theatre camp to his activities.
G took it all in stride, as he always does. He is so ready for Kindergarten. I realize, now, that it’s me that’s going to have the toughest transition.
