Sing it with me, Moms.Listen, early this mornin', I heard the screen door swing,
And a big yellow school bus took my boy away
Now don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you got till it's gone
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot
My little boy is going to school.
He's got new shoes, a snappy backpack, and a stash of number two pencils. His uniform is crisp, his hair freshly cut. He's off in the real world now, and I'm not sure I'm ready to let him go.
He is only thirteen, after all.
Joey, along with his three brothers, has been homeschooled from day one. His two sisters had a brief experience with "real" school when they were little, one attending kindergarten and first grade, the other coming back home after just a year in kindergarten. I stuck it out and homeschooled them all the way through high school, and I'm still at it with AJ, who's now a senior, and the urchins, who are six and nine.
But my Joey's off to high school, in a real building a few miles away, a building that is not our house.
Weird.
He looked great this morning, blonde and tan, his shoulders broad, tying his tie, lacing up those new shoes. I know he was nervous and excited, and so was I.
But of course I'm a little sad, too.
For the most part, I've really enjoyed homeschooling him. It has been challenging giving him the structure that he thrives on, and that's one of the reasons we decided to send him to a tradtional school. That and his passion for sports in general, soccer in particular, gave us the push we needed to send him out the door and into a whole new world.
I realize most moms go through this when their boys are five or six. But my heart is still a little heavy today. I'll miss being his teacher, but one thing's for sure: I'm still his mom, and his primary educator.
I'll never stop trying to teach Joey what really matters in life: love the Lord, serve His people, use the gifts and talents He has blessed you with. I've learned a lot from Joey. I hope he can say the same about me.
2 comments:
I feel your "pain". I'm sending our eldest to high school this year. It is only a stone's throw from our home on post, but . . . . he needs more structure and to be accountable to other adults and a system. Where home schooling was good for him? His reading, writing, and analytical thinking skills have been sharpened. Not least to be mentioned, his Faith was fostered and he's now open to God's call, whatever that might be. He starts on the 25th!
I sincerly hope you took a nerdy picture of him. You've got 'em of me and Lolo, there better be one of Joey too!
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