Mother Lovingly Kissing Little Child at Sunset

 

As I sit here tonight, I am filled with a mix of emotion.  I will put my first born on a school bus tomorrow morning that will whisk him off to his first day of Kindergarten.  He is so excited! I have not let him see my tears that start streaming down my face when I think of this huge milestone.  These are not tears of sadness, of course, but tears for my worry, anxiety, and realization that my “baby” is becoming a big boy.  

As parents, I know we all have these “moments” in life with our children that are momentous occasions.  It was the first day of daycare after maternity leave.  It will be when they pull out of the driveway behind the wheel of a car for the first time.  It will be when they proudly walk across the graduation stage.  And it will be when we drive away after moving them into a college dorm.  All moments in a parent’s life that we look forward to but at the same time secretly hope that time will just stop and we can continue to enjoy the innocence of childhood with them.

The questions in my mind are endless. Will he be ok on the bus?  What if someone is mean to him?  Have we done everything in our power to prepare him for success in school?  I have heard people say that when watching their children, it is like watching a part of your heart outside of your body.  It is absolutely true.

So for all of those other moms, dads, and caregivers who are facing the first day of whatever your milestone might be right now, I am there with you tonight.