There's an interesting thing happening all around me and I feel like the odd mom out.
I'm watching a lot of mom's I know send their various kids off to the "first" time of whatever, the next phase in their lives and it's interesting to me. Almost a little arresting.
See, I am cut of a different mold.
These mom's are all mourning their kids going off to the next phase of life. Some it's the transition to a new level of school, like moving on from elementary to middle. Some it's the first child in Senior year. Some it's the first baby going into kindergarten. Some are sending one off to college.
The interesting thing is the different ways we react. I'm not at all saying my way is the correct or only way to react. Not at all. We're all entitled to feel things the way we do. I'm just saying I do it differently. For all of us, the main thing is to keep it in perspective and in scope. So it's OK to feel upset, about anything, for a certain length of time, and yes, that's somewhat relevant and unique to each individual, but there comes a time when we have to check ourselves and go, OK, enough. You know what I mean? Like it's perfectly OK to have a bad day, especially after something awful happens, but after a few days of feeling junky about yourself or life, you have to say, OK, I'm done with that now and I'm moving on. I'm going back to feeling OK about myself and my life.
I get really excited about my kids going into the next step of whatever it is. I really do. I've never had that experience with any of my kids of being weepy or sad or even really afraid of what will happen in the next phase.
So for example, with my oldest, I wasn't sad or upset when I sent him off to preschool or when I sent him off to public school after homeschooling for years. I wasn't sad about sending the middle one off to tackle football. I'm not upset in the slightest about sending Little Miss off to kindergarten. Sending her off the preschool wasn't an issue.
So it makes me wonder, what kind of broken bad momma am I that I don't come unglued at the prospect and reality of sending them on to the next phase of life. I actually get really excited for my kids. Like right now, for Little Miss, I'm actually, truly really excited to see her start kindergarten. I'm sure it's going to be exciting and challenging and fun for her. Yup, she has some "special issues" and yup, it's going to make school a challenge for her, for her peers, her teachers and for her parents, but yeah, it's going to be amazing exciting for her.
Know what else?
I know it's only kindergarten, but I'm really proud of her.
I guess I'm just the odd momma out. But, it's OK, I'm cool with me just how I am. And I'm cool with being happy and excited for my kids every time the move on to the next step in their lives. I love seeing who they are growing into and becoming. It's the most exciting journey of my life.
