Welp, two down, one more to go...
I think I'm in a sort of time warp, ya know. Being pregnant isn't a memory, it was like yesterday...and now, my second child is graduating high school. And all the emotions, the worries, doubts, fears, joys, tears are as vivid, as real as the graduation gown hung up in my daughter's closet.
I'm a weird parent, because my happiness is not derived from my kids going off to college, or from amazing grades, or from feats of athleticism. I'm happy, because my kids learned how to be amazing human beings, despite the obstacles. They could have dropped out. They could have become dependant on drugs/alcohol. They could have gotten pregnant/gotten someone pregnant. They could have run away. Instead of doing any of those things, they became reliable friends, trustworthy children and steadfast employees. They learned compassion, empathy, strength of character. They understand what it means to take on the responsibility of a job, of being there for a sibling, of being a good friend.
Naw, I'm not proud...I'm freakin' ecstatic that another one of my children has successfully navigated the first part of her life.
For all you parents out there who have yet to experience the joy of your children graduating high school...I hope you all get to feel this way when the time comes.