Back in January of 2023, I wrote a story called “I Don’t Mind.” It was a piece on saying I don’t mind waiting for my son to come out of some kind of school activity or practice that he was having. He was not yet driving and it was a cold winter night and I struck up a conversation with another parent who said they couldn’t wait until their kid started driving so she wouldn’t have to wait anymore. She asked me if I agreed and I politely said no.
Fast forward to August of 2024 and you see why. My guy has entered his senior year of high school. He has been driving for quite awhile now and I am going to tell you, I miss him and those moments. Driving him home and hearing how his day went and everything was a true joy in my life. Don’t get me wrong, I am so proud of the man he is becoming. He is happy, talented, handsome and everything I wasn’t at that age.
Now here comes something that is driving me crazy. Everyone I talk to keeps referring to the ‘Last’ this or that. It is his last first day. It is the last time he will take that class. It is the last time he will have his choir cookout. It is the last time he will have Homecoming. Last, last, last. Say that as ‘Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!’ I am telling you, it is driving me bonkers because everyone puts ‘last’ into it.
I get it, because it is his last rodeo in high school. But instead of focusing on the last time, how about we just talk about what a wonderful ride it has been. Watching our seniors grow into amazing young adults and let’s just enjoy this ride with them as much as we can.
I know I sound as if I am an old man yelling at a cloud but this year will pass so fast and then he will be off on another incredible adventure in his life so I am just enjoying every single second of it. Last seems so final to me as if he will never have fun again, or sing again, or any of that. After this year, it is simply moving on to the next great thing. Then, on to something else bigger and exciting.
Funny, with my daughter, I did not have this problem at all. Maybe because it all ends with my boy and there will be no more parent/teacher nights, or activities at the school to go see and do? I don’t know but as with everything else in life, we will figure it out. I am just thankful to be along for the ride, wherever we go.