The LAST "Last First Day"

Posted to Beer Lahai Roi by Lisa Laree

Somebody asked me at work today if I was having a hard time dealing with the baby of the family starting her senior year today.

I replied that it only bothered me when I thought about it, and I've got so much going on that I haven't had time to think about it so...no, not much.  Yet, anyway.

This year is going to be so different in many ways.  The Actor will be going off to a residential internship program...it's just about 20 minutes down the road with a ministry that is run by a long time friend, so it's not like he was going, to say, Mexico or something, but he will be GONE and he will be busy and when he is at church he will be at one of the satellite campuses.  So we three will be rattling around the house somewhat isolated from the rest of the crew.

We raised our kids to be independent; sometimes I think I did a little too good of a job of that.

But the senior year is going to be the last of so many things.  It will be the last time I chaperone the state drama competition (assuming, of course, that nothing comes up to prevent me going this year).  Out of the 10 state competitions in which my kids were participants, I've only missed two...because there was no need for another chaperone.

It will be the last high school musical for which I am obligated to be part of the costume team.  I am not ruling out the possibility that, if asked, I might take my machine down and sew for an evening here or there, but the days of hauling home massive amounts of work will be done.

To be honest, I am somewhat sad that the years that seemed so tedious day by day have flown by so quickly.  Those cute kids...the unstructured days when I did not have to go out and clock in my hours...in hindsight, it was a blur.  I have a few moments that are in sharp focus, but mostly it seems rather like a dream.

But.

I've been doing the kids-in-school thing since The Princess headed off to 3-day-a-week Preschool in 1990.  24 years is a long time to be on repeat...even if each verse is slightly different than the last.  And, not having a self-motivating child, I am Tired Of Pushing.

As poignant as the moment is, I think we almost have the last boulder up to the top of the hill...

I may not know exactly what to do next, but I will at least have something of freedom to choose.

Off she goes on her last 'first day'.

Class of 2014.