Flying Away │ How I'm Dealing with my Lastborn Graduating High School

My lastborn son is about to graduate high school in a couple of weeks.

So, I'm not crying at all these days. Not a bit... only when I breathe.

The truth is, I'm not thinking about how sad I am. It's a sadness in a good way, if that's actually a thing. And it has kept me from remaining in a perpetual puddle of tears.

I'm happy about who he's become over the last almost 18 years I've raised him. But also sad that my role as mom and child-raiser is shifting into something I know very little about (My older son has helped me transition into that role already, so I'm not totally inept... but close.) 

I'm essentially being fired from a job to learn my "new" mom role.

While I'm ready to let him fly, I feel like I still have one hand on his shirt tails holding him back from floating away. I don't want to let him go.

I'm proud of my son, Caleb. He has turned into an amazing young man, is passionate about many things, and can't wait to begin college and start his career (This could be a career in EMS, or piloting, or Marine reserves, or ... he's very diverse. EMS seems to be the current love though.)

His heart is pure, he's following the path God has for him, he is honest and good, and he wants to do the right thing in all areas of his life. He also loves cars, video games, talking to girls, and waxing poetic about politics, his peers, and every subject under the sun. As a not-even-18-year-old, he's an old soul.

We call him "Old Man Caleb" in our household for this very reason.

I wrote about my flip-flopping happy/sad disposition in an article for Her View from Home. It goes into a little more depth about how crazy the end of the year for a graduating senior is - especially for the parents.

I am glad that my boy is graduating and succeeding in all of it. Because it is a lot. It's overwhelming; it's busy, insane, chaotic and crazy. And he's doing it all!  But this is it.

And it's the last time this situation happens for me, too. My baby is graduating high school.

And while letting go of him isn't easy, I know it's time. I'm thankful God let me be his mother. 

Happy or sad, I love this kid to pieces.

-Heather