So excited to graduate

Two and a half more weeks … Two and a half more weeks and I’ve officially raised a high school graduate and honestly, it seems like she’s turned into an adult overnight. '

Just all of the sudden, we’ll be talking and she’ll say some sentence that makes her sound so much more mature and she talks about her future plans all the time and what all she wants to achieve. A couple week ago, she went out on her own and got a couple jobs, and even renewed her license without me even realizing it was time for that. She’s being nicer to her sisters and I even heard her “mothering” them the other day, telling them to “wear a jacket or you’re gonna get cold!” It feels like I’m living with another adult in the house instead of my child and it’s really cool! I thought it would make me sad, but I’m actually more proud than anything else and really enjoying this kinda new relationship that we're growing into.

She still needs to start doing her own laundry and I still have to nag her about cleaning her room, but she does offer to pick up her sisters more than she used to and she even went on her own to the grocery store and bought milk when she saw we were getting low. In the past, she would be the one to put the empty jug back in the fridge and not think twice about even putting milk on the list. It’s like she is realizing that in a normal household, kids need taken care of, food needs bought and we’re all in this together. I don’t know... I’m still trying to figure her out but I tell ya what, I like this new change!

I asked her the other day if it was starting to hit her that she was graduating. After 13 years, she had made it and the end was near, so I asked if she was sad at all, which she quickly replied, “Nope! I’m so ready for it to be done.” That surprised me! This is the same girl that cried when her 8th-grade year ended and sobbed when her last volleyball and basketball games of her high school career were over. She’s always been my sentimental kid so I expected her to be dreading the end and her heart would be breaking but I was wrong. Quite the opposite. She was beaming when she brought home her cap and gown this week. She was so excited to show me. Of course, I wanted to cry at the sight of it but she was so happy, I couldn’t help but be excited too!

She also registered for her Fall college classes and it was like she registered for Kindergarten. She couldn’t wait to show me and tell me all about it. Her joy undergoing this process is certainly making it easier on me, that’s for sure! Hard to be weepy when she’s so eager to start this new chapter. So, here I thought, by this time, I would be bawling around and reminiscing but thanks to her, I’m doing okay! Little did I know. Now I’m sure the day of graduation will be tough and I’m sure I’ll shed some tears but hopefully, they will be mostly tears of joy and of pride. Her hopeful and enthusiastic attitude about her future makes me happy and has been a very nice surprise, and I’m so excited for her!