Blink and you’ll miss it
I am NOT okay!
This morning, my youngest headed out the door for his final day of school.
Fourteen years ago, we had two toddlers and now in the space of 12 months, we have two men who are officially finished with year 12.
There are still exams, final assembly, formal, and schoolies yet to come – but this is the last ever day of school for our family.
Amongst the last-ditch rush to ensure assignments were done, costumes for the week were sorted and that he was doing all he could to make sure he gets the best ATAR possible, I didn’t process my feelings about this being the end.
Or maybe I just didn’t want to.
Memories of my boys’ first days of primary school are so vivid. Their tiny little uniforms and their sweet smiles hiding nerves and excitement.
Their days at Primary School seemed to take forever to pass – the onerous work for parents having to make recess and lunches that they “might” actually eat, nightly reading, sight words, permission slips, school drop-offs, and pick-ups seemed to rule our life. I remember what a big deal it was when they were able to ride their bikes to school without us, enjoying the short trip down the road with our neighbours’ kids and making up silly words to the latest songs.
Then suddenly, they were off to High School and nobody warned me just how fast those years would fly.
From young teens searching for new friendships with kids they met through sport, to navigating those friendships as they changed with age, classes, and interests – and in the end, both coming out with a bunch of mates who are really good “kids.”
High School parent life was vastly different, and for the most part, we weren’t needed. Lunches were self-made, subjects like algebra were far beyond our grasp, and in the final years, the transition from catching the bus turned to riding or driving themselves in their own cars.
Looking back on the first-day photos, hubby was kneeling down next to them and now when standing, they look down on him. They are now men. Men with different looks, different voices, different personalities, different friends, different everything.
We’re told to “soak it all in” and “enjoy every moment”, but that’s not as easy as it sounds when you’re in the middle of it all just trying to get through the day. We rarely get the chance or time to stop and reflect.
I blinked, and they went from babies to toddlers, from little boys to tweens. I remember writing down the night before they started high school that I would make sure I wouldn’t miss it. I’m sure I didn’t blink—but somehow, it’s happened anyway.
