Graduation for My Little One

It is the season of graduates.  I still have incredibly fond memories of the times in my life tied to graduations.  It is a bittersweet time of great anticipation. Now as a mother, I am getting to live all the new beginnings and sad endings with my children.

My youngest son Macklin is about to “graduate” from preschool and make his way to Kindergarten.  Of course, I think he is adorable and so brave.  He is becoming such an interesting person — with a personality, thoughts, ideas and wants to share it all. He is so excited to get to go to school — like all of his brothers and sister — he wants to grow up as quickly as possible always chasing the other kids.  I want to tell him to slow down — don’t miss this part — don’t grow up too fast!  Partly because he is the baby…..and his mom still wants to cuddle and care for him!

I loved the article on the site Letter to A Graduate http://www.patheos.com/Resources/Additional-Resources/Letter-To-A-Young-Graduate.  I cried through the whole thing, imagining saying those same words to my son one day as he moves to the next stage of his life. Wanting so badly to share the moments and mistakes of my life that made me who I am and so desperately wanting to spare him from the same mistakes. Yet knowing that it is the journey that will make him the man that I know he will become.  Sigh.

As I look into those twinkling blue eyes, I know that the greatest gift that I can give him is the wings to fly to that next destination. And a safe place to land.