A few months ago I wrote about the first day of the school year. While we still have a few months to go before summer – too long, these temperatures outside make me feel – the roller coaster of emotions continues as my oldest child works his way through his last year of middle school. On the first day of school, I could hardly believe that it was his last first day within the sheltering walls of our wonderful Christian school. With tears in my eyes, I wondered what I would be sending him off to, as though he would not be attending the high school approximately one mile from our house.
Since then I have surprised myself by having some more positive feelings about the upcoming transition. Every time my son goes to a school function or we tell him he can invite a friend somewhere and he has no close friend to be with, I look forward to that class of 200 students where I feel certain he will be able to find others who connect with him. I look at this clean slate of new friends with no preconceived notions of who he is with a great wave of relief. Not that his classmates are cruel to him, there is just no one among only six boys in his class that he is close friends with. I look forward to him finding people to build the kind of relationship that I truly believe no person should be without.
Then we get an email asking us for baby pictures of our eighth graders for graduation, and I panic once again. He is my baby! What am I doing? A class of 200 – how will he even keep track of everyone and where he is supposed to go? Will he continue to enjoy his status as school math genius when compared to so many others? Maybe I should homeschool.
Thankfully, meeting with the high school guidance counsellor talked me down from this cliff and I was able to reclaim positivity. He will be able to take two advanced math classes his freshman year, and by his senior year enroll for math at a local college. He will get to take French and drafting. There are so many opportunities for him even at our relatively small town high school that I am excited for him again. I look forward to him taking classes that align with what he may want to do for a career and am so thrilled with all the opportunities that I wish I could enroll for high school again myself.
In the end, it is God that I need to look to. He will keep my precious boy on the path he needs to follow through the guiding of the Holy Spirit. I have faith that my not so little boy has a firm foundation of faith that new influences will not be able to shake, or when they do he knows that God (and Mom) are always ready to listen and forgive. I will be able to send him off confident, though still with tears in my eyes, that he is in fact ready for this exciting new phase of life.
Other moms, please share how you are handling your kids’ transitions. I haven’t even started on my dear little girl being confirmed! I will leave that for another day 
Samantha,
What beautiful perspective and honesty you share! I got tears in my eyes reading your post and remembering all those feelings. Their whole world opens up after they leave middle school and they take all the joys and challenges of their Christian walk with them. Prayer is such a powerful thing and remembering that God loves my children even more than I do has always comforted me on this journey. (Seriously…more than I do? Is that possible? His love is indescribable!) Liz is right on with Matthew 6:24. As I watch my children progress through high school and college, God shows me daily that He is in control. What has helped me tremendously is a prayer journal of specific prayers for each of them. Each week I return to it and see how God has worked His perfect will through all of those requests and how His plan is so much better than anything I can ever imagine. Watching our children grow and become more independent is joyful, painful, nerve-wracking, hilarious…you name it! Through every situation, every step, every breath, God is there, in a mighty, wonderful way. I sadly underestimate Him every time when I let worry and fear creep in, yet He continues to forgive me and accept my praise as I see His perfect plan unfold. I am so thankful for His leading and His forgiveness!
Thank you, Sue! You are always so encouraging! I especially like your idea of using a prayer journal to pray for your child, of course
I feel like I am going through a big transition year much like yourself. My oldest and only girl will be heading to a giant high school this fall. I just pray that she doesn’t struggle too much. She is very smart so I am worried about the relationships she will make more then anything. Our next child will be confirmed and start middle school. He can not be old enough for this, but now that he is as tall as I am I know he is growing into a young man. Our next child will be turning 6. Why 6 seems to be such a huge year for me I am not sure. 5 still seems little. 6 means Kindergarten and school everyday and more activites. Last but not least is our sweet little one who turns 2 next month. Where did the time go? He is no longer a little baby a toddler with ideas and desires of his own. He lets you know about them too. We won’t even go into job changes for my husband and probably having to move. Life is full of change. I don’t allow myself to look at the BIG picture too often. I try to focus in on the joy of today. God tells us in Matthew 6:34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
Liz, we are going through many of the same things right now! Though instead of your littler ones I have my “baby” hitting double digits this year! Thank you for sharing the verse, too. Leaning on God & His Word is the only way through all this