Last Day of School.

My youngest. His last day of school was Thursday. He graduates next week. I am glad in some ways, sad in others obviously. I am having a major sleepless night and these are thoughts that keep spinning around in my mind.

Four kids over the last 24 years attended this school district. I no longer have to attend conferences or school functions, call in for sick or late days, write checks for lunch, play taxi when someone misses the bus, get calls from teachers when someone is misbehaving, and basically be done with the school years. I never really saw an end to this until just now.

People with children don't always realize how much their own lives revolve around the school years of their children. I tell parents just starting out with their kids in school to take a look around at the parents of these kids because most likely you will be seeing them at not only every school function you attend, but one day at graduation.

When I was pregnant for my first child, I worked with a woman who was also pregnant and we both delivered around the same time. We both eventually went different directions in our lives, but oddly enough at graduation of those kids, there we were, together again. Surprisingly enough, we ended up with those kids in the same school district, although we never kept in contact over the years. Just ended up sitting near each other at graduation.

So another and the last graduation is soon to come. Will this give me more time for my own pursuits? That would be nice, but there are still 2 grandchildren who need me, and that is another adventure to take on.

I sometimes wonder why I have spent so many years taking care of everyone else, and really no one has ever taken care of me. I prefer it that way, but know I must always stay strong to carry on this tradition.

So a tribute to Justin: the places you'll go and the people you'll meet, I hope you will rise to the occasion and become a decent young man with a successful life. Love, Mom.