Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Growing up

I'm not a very sentimental mom.  I mean, don't get me wrong, the day our computer crashed and lost every picture from the day of Elizabeth's birth, I was sobbing until Shawn and his brother, by what I can only believe was a small miracle, got them back.  But, the things that usually make moms a little melancholy, like breast-feeding for the last time, moving up into a big kid bed, going to "big kid" school, etc, etc, I just see as milestones.  I'm always glad to reach each one and for life to become just that much easier.

Why then did it feel like a kick to my solar plexus when Spence announced this morning that he wanted to be dropped at the curb and walk himself into school?  Maybe because in the midst of all those other milestones, I knew they still needed me.  Sure they're growing up, but they're still my babies and they still need their mommy.  The confident little person I saw proudly walking himself into the school building today was nothing less than an independent BOY.  No more my little baby.

That doesn't mean I didn't stop two different friends I saw walking into school and ask them to check to make sure he made it to his classroom okay.  But, he doesn't know that he still needed me to do that...

7 comments:

Springer said...

Ali - you have to be one of the best moms ever. I would think that it's tough to be a mom of boys. He still needs you - but now he needs you for other things. I have no doubt you'll be as good at those other things as you were at walking him to class when he needed that. I bet today by letting him do it on his own, you were the perfect mom he needed.

Ali said...

you have no idea how much that means to me, springer. thanks.

cmjj said...

I agree.....as much as I don't like facing those moments myself, I agree. It's the best thing in the world to be a mother, and it's the hardest. Because part of you is walking around out there and you just want to protect him from anything that could possibly try to harm him. I guess it's those times when we have to remember God will go with him, but it's still hard!

Ali said...

truer words have never been spoken, my friend.

Brandy White said...

My girls have wanted to be dropped off all year. A bonus...you can stay in your jammies...people will never know!!! : )

Ali said...

and THERE'S the silver lining i hadn't considered!

Brandy White said...

Amen!

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