Pomp and Circumstance

My baby flew the nest on Friday night.  Once an eagle, always an eagle, but no longer a high school student.

I sat with family and a few thousand friends in a packed gym watching my guy walk the line with one of his best pals.  And much to my surprise, I didn't cry.

Perhaps because that ugly cry came on Wednesday night.  Around 11pm, he headed to the senior campout, a tradition where the kids all gather at the high school, play a few pranks, and "sleep" on campus so they can pick their seat for graduation.  When the door shut, it dawned on me that morning was the last morning I would ever wake him up for class.  Cue the tears.

I'm not sure why that symbolism started the waterworks but for the next hour or so I sobbed into my pillow as the last 18 years flooded me with memories.

When you are knee-deep in diapers, everyone tells you how fast the years will go but you don't fully realize it until they are teens and you're willing time to slow down.  Yet, as much as I miss those baby days, I really enjoy the young man he's become.

The entire week has been filled with milestones.  From fretting over finals and getting texts of relief, celebratory lunches, Baccalaureate service, cap and gown pictures, Project Graduation, to hosting a house of excited boys all weekend, this momma is blessedly pooped.  And her son has to be too.  He has, after all, been up with very little sleep for four days in a row!

As such, Monday was most certainly a day of rest.  Noah and I stopped at the downtown Memorial day parade and snuck off for sushi, while hubby slept.  We were able to all gather for a quiet dinner before hitting the new week, watching the finale of "The Middle;" which was symbolically similar to what we were experiencing.  Babies leaving the nest...

It may be summer but our guy has a wonderful job and will be pulling lots of hours now that school is out.  This morning was his first day of reality.  Though I set an emergency backup alarm, this momma was proud to see that he was already up, showered, and eating cereal when I checked on him.  So, I went back to bed!

Looking back, the weekend wasn't anything like I expected but it was beautifully wonderful.  I'm so excited for what the future holds that I can't spend time being weepy or sad of him growing up on me.  He brings me such joy, no matter what stage of life we're in!