I walked him into his little classroom, my grip on his hand whitening knuckles for sure.
This was big, this Kindergarten thing, and I knew my mother/smother hen nature was fighting letting go as we made the trek inside. It's inevitable when it's school time.
What was once a choice was now a command.
We made our way in and found his desk and said hi to the pretty little girl sitting beside him. We took pictures with his teacher, helped him unpack his backpack and left him at a desk coloring a picture.
We waved goodbye to other tear filled eyes of parents as we walked out the door of the school.
Throughout the year, drop off got easier. We settled into a routine and eventually were able to drop him off at the door. And eventually he didn't look back and wave, he just ran right in like a flash of lightening.
That's how it's supposed to be in Kindergarten; exciting, carefree and full of expectations.
My boy graduated his first year of school last Thursday and is officially now a first grader. Looking back on the year is a bittersweet feeling. I'm so proud of how far he's come, how much he learned and more importantly of the little man of God that he is growing into.
Next year I will have another Kindergartner and the whole process starts all over again.
But what sticks out in my mind more than anything at this point is just how quickly it all will go.
We will get little Ms. Q up and ready come the first of August and pack her lunch for the very first time. We will help her find her way to her class and I'm sure I'll cry as I leave the building on that first day.
Days will pass, she will grow and become more and more confident. I will see her blossom as she starts making friends and finding her little place among her peers.
Along the way, just like we did this past year, I'm sure we'll have some bumps in the road and some hurdles to overcome. Tanner had a few days of "yellow" this year but all in all it wasn't too bad.
I'm sure Quinley will do the same. If she's anything like me she'll probably talk too much and get in trouble for not being quiet.
She'll be emotional some days and come home crying after little situations among her friends that is typical for girls her age.
And we will watch it all again....one sunrise after another and one year after another until there is a cap and gown and the routine doesn't start all over again.
I read a caption not long ago that said the days are long but the years are short. I couldn't agree more.
I intend to fully enjoy this summer with my kiddos but I can not believe how quickly a year has come and gone by.
The grip on their little hand has gone from tight with white knuckles to a looser hand hold at best. Most of the time they are running off and going ahead of me. And I'm not far behind them, with a grin as wide as the state of Texas and a sense of pride that nothing could surpass.
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