Good morning…
Yesterday, our youngest child had his last Middle School Field Day. This is one thing I have learned from raising our four kids: savoring “lasts” along the way is an essential key to enjoying life.
Following spring football practice the night before, I picked up a carload of eighth grade boys. After dropping a few kids home and stopping by to pick up clothes for another, the four remaining riders jumped out of my car, into borrowed shorts, and dove into the backyard pool. The other mom and I shared a bit of wine and several fun stories while the four boys played and played. They played and played for two unexpected hours before we finally decided to order pizza to fill their boy/man bellies. When they eventually emerged wrapped in towels from the pool, they devoured two large pizzas while laughing through a goofy TV show. Three hours after we “stopped by for clothes,” the boys piled back in my car, we drove to our home, then they descended downstairs for a cool school-night sleepover.
This morning, I served hot pancakes topped with syrup and whipped cream before taking them to school all decked out in their Field Day team colors. Red. Pink. Yellow. Orange. T-shirts and headbands, wrist bands and silly socks. Finishing strong their middle school career, they all went “all out” for their final half day of fun.
It is amazing to consider that for ten years straight I have dropped off a child or two at the front doors of the middle school. Our son is more than ready to head into the upper school next fall, but not before I stop for a moment to lift a prayer of thanks for all that has grown in all of our kids between sixth grade and eighth.
Life, lovely while it lasts, is soon over. Life as we know it, precious and beautiful, ends (Ecclesiastes 12:6, MSG).
…Sue…
