"Be strong enough to stand alone,
smart enough to know when you need help.
and brave enough to ask for it"
I searched for a quote that I wanted to use on social media next to youngest's graduation pic from 8th grade.
Turns out I love this quote so much that when I looked back at oldest's graduation pic, I used the same quote.
Who knew?
Now graduating from middle school is a thing so of course I needed a quote!
You know what happened when I graduated from middle school?
Nothing.
I came home on the bus.
I don't even think we had a half day.
(Remember when half days were actually half days and not dismissal at 10AM?)
Middle school was Junior High back then and I can assure you my parents were not taking the day off to watch me get a diploma.
We went from one school to the next without a batting of an eyelash.
And there was no facebook to allow my Mom to post my adorable first day of Kindergarten picture.
Because I dont even think I have a first day of Kindergarten picture.
We were DEPRIVED children.
So today I posted youngest's adorable little first day of Kindergarten picture next to his 8th grade diploma pic.
His chubby little cheeks have been replaced by ones that need to be shaved.
His love of wanting to hug his mom has been replaced by awkwardness of doing it with others looking on.
He is now taller than I am and no longer needs his shoes tied.
His hangriness when he doesn't eat for long periods of time ...okay that one still shines through.
The thing about not blinking and time flying and slow down and it goes by so fast
all those cliches
TOTAL TRUTH.
My worries as a Mom have changed over the years
and my attitude on life has changed significantly.
Some of it due to having cancer
some due to oldest's medical challenges early in life
some just have to do with me being 51.
I wish I could show my kids that all the stuff they are going through now wont matter to them later in life.
That the real lessons are not in their spanish class (sorry Senor W)
but the ones they are experiencing in the lunch room, or while waiting for the bus, or sadly some of the stories they hear on the nightly news.
Lessons about inclusion, acceptance, differences.
I would never have had the courage to speak out at the age of 14.
I'm not sure I had the courage to even speak out at 21.
I hope my kids learn earlier than I did to be courageous.
I hope they learn that courageous does not mean doing the zip line (although sometimes that is pretty darn brave)
but to sit with the lonely kid, to speak out when others are doing "wrong", to not always "join in" when you know you should be opting out.
Middle school/Junior High whatever you called it.
The whole thing is awkward.
The years are awkward.
Fitting in, acne, changing bodies, changing voices, old spice, having to learn about geometry and spanish verbs,
it's all confusing and overwhelming and "weird".
But we all got through it as kids and we are getting through it (somehow, god help us) as parents.
So cheers to us parents.
For raising our kids to be
brave enough to stand alone
smart enough to know when they need help
brave enough to ask for it
smart enough to know when you need help.
and brave enough to ask for it"
I searched for a quote that I wanted to use on social media next to youngest's graduation pic from 8th grade.
Turns out I love this quote so much that when I looked back at oldest's graduation pic, I used the same quote.
Who knew?
Now graduating from middle school is a thing so of course I needed a quote!
You know what happened when I graduated from middle school?
Nothing.
I came home on the bus.
I don't even think we had a half day.
(Remember when half days were actually half days and not dismissal at 10AM?)
Middle school was Junior High back then and I can assure you my parents were not taking the day off to watch me get a diploma.
We went from one school to the next without a batting of an eyelash.
And there was no facebook to allow my Mom to post my adorable first day of Kindergarten picture.
Because I dont even think I have a first day of Kindergarten picture.
We were DEPRIVED children.
So today I posted youngest's adorable little first day of Kindergarten picture next to his 8th grade diploma pic.
His chubby little cheeks have been replaced by ones that need to be shaved.
His love of wanting to hug his mom has been replaced by awkwardness of doing it with others looking on.
He is now taller than I am and no longer needs his shoes tied.
His hangriness when he doesn't eat for long periods of time ...okay that one still shines through.
The thing about not blinking and time flying and slow down and it goes by so fast
all those cliches
TOTAL TRUTH.
My worries as a Mom have changed over the years
and my attitude on life has changed significantly.
Some of it due to having cancer
some due to oldest's medical challenges early in life
some just have to do with me being 51.
I wish I could show my kids that all the stuff they are going through now wont matter to them later in life.
That the real lessons are not in their spanish class (sorry Senor W)
but the ones they are experiencing in the lunch room, or while waiting for the bus, or sadly some of the stories they hear on the nightly news.
Lessons about inclusion, acceptance, differences.
I would never have had the courage to speak out at the age of 14.
I'm not sure I had the courage to even speak out at 21.
I hope my kids learn earlier than I did to be courageous.
I hope they learn that courageous does not mean doing the zip line (although sometimes that is pretty darn brave)
but to sit with the lonely kid, to speak out when others are doing "wrong", to not always "join in" when you know you should be opting out.
Middle school/Junior High whatever you called it.
The whole thing is awkward.
The years are awkward.
Fitting in, acne, changing bodies, changing voices, old spice, having to learn about geometry and spanish verbs,
it's all confusing and overwhelming and "weird".
But we all got through it as kids and we are getting through it (somehow, god help us) as parents.
So cheers to us parents.
For raising our kids to be
brave enough to stand alone
smart enough to know when they need help
brave enough to ask for it
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