For the past 13 years, from pre-K on up, I have awaited June and the end of the school year with both joy (“Hey! Bri passed and she’s promoted!”) and trepidation (“Hey! September is two months away. What are we going to do until then?”)
But not this June, nosiree Bob, this Saturday is different. This Saturday is the culmination of it all. Bri is graduating high school, the last leg of the September to June merry-go-round for parents.
Not that Bri isn’t continuing her education — she’s college bound — but parental involvement officially ends at the end ofhigh school, or at least it does in my world.
When Father Reilly hands our Bri her diploma and she walks off that stage, I’m free. Free at last!
This June, there will be no further planning on my part. No more shopping for school supplies in July. No more searching for the perfect first-day-of-school outfit (that always took several weeks to find). No more winter and spring uniform storage. No more arranging for drop-offs or pick-ups from school for the following September; no more sport fees. No more tuition. No more tactical scheduling of activities. No more chauffeur duties (in fact now that Bri has a license, she makes the arrangements to drop me off and pick me up from the train-station, reward is sweet, aint it). No more searching for tutors. No more parent-teacher conferences. No more Winter or Spring recess projects. No more, no more, no more.
Nope there is no longer any mores that I have to deal with as far as school is concerned. Come June 2011, my to-do list is ta-done.
The weight of Bri’s continuing education now firmly rests upon her sturdy shoulders.
It’s all up to Bri — to schedule classes, to pick up books; to worry about mid-term and final papers. She’ll need to make arrangements for tuition; to meet with teachers and advisors, to make travel arrangements.
It’s time for Bri to compile her own to-do list and to get it done.
Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not completely abandoning my little one. I’ll always be a mommy and I’ll always be there, but when it comes to school, from here on in, it’s strictly on an advisory basis.
She’s got her wings, it’s her time to fly.
Not for Nuthin, but whatever will I do with all this free time?
