I sent my oldest daughter to school Friday. Senior year. Last time of first times.
I’ve been saying that I am feeling emotions I didn’t know even existed. That’s true.
I didn’t realize what was going on. Not really. She’s my first born and even knowing senior year was soon, I just didn’t really “get it” until now. Parenting is a journey that unfolds in the blink of an eye. From the moment I held her tiny hand when she was born, soothing her cries after she was thrust into this cold and bright world, I’ve watch her grow and change. She left behind a trail of memories, not always beautiful, and helped me grow as a human being.
Now I come to this bittersweet symphony of senior year. Throughout their high school years, my Lorelai and her friends have grown into remarkable young individuals. They have faced tough times head-on: teacher turnover in junior high, COVID, bickering and reaching resolutions among them. They have forged lasting friendships and discovered their passions.
I now realize I have had the privilege of witnessing their growth and evolution. This year will undoubtedly be a rollercoaster of emotions, a celebration of achievements, and the inevitable trepidation of the challenges soon to arise.
I just have to have faith in the foundation we have laid and trust that she is equipped with the skills and resilience to embrace the future with confidence.
And when the day comes for her to graduate, to walk the field and into the next chapter of her life, I want to remind her, as I’m sure all of you in the same boat as me do with your own kids, that she will always have a place to call home, a safe haven to return to whenever the seas grow too rough and she needs our love to forever be a guiding light.
(Josh Beavers is an award-winning writer and author. He has earned more than 40 individual writing awards and is syndicated in 12 North Louisiana news journals. The Louisiana Press Association has recognized him five times for excellence in opinion writing, and he has earned numerous Best Investigative Reporting Awards and Freedom of Information Awards for exposure of governmental corruption in Webster Parish.)
