I guess it’s real. I have the picture to prove it, so it must be real. I’m still just in shock about it. My firstborn will be a senior in high school next year. She just had her senior yearbook pictures taken. It’s just July. Can’t they let me live over here just North of the denial river a tad longer? That seems fair.
I’m not sure how I feel about it all. I’m excited, I’m nervous, and at times I’m emotional. That’s normal, I’d say, to be all of those things. I think any mom who has been through this can tell you what to expect, but no mom can truly explain how it feels until you’re in the thick of it yourself.
I’ve heard some moms say, “You’ll be fine. It’s going to be great.” And I believe that. If I’m being real though, I think this is going to be harder than I anticipated. And you know what else? That’s okay. I think sometimes as women and moms we spend so much time trying to be okay that we don’t lean into the rawness of what’s happening around us. It’s okay to feel one way one day and one way the next. I’m not saying at some point you might not need to reign in some of that, but I do think you need to give yourself permission to experience it all.
That’s my intention. I want to be fully present and if you’ve been a mom to a teenager or spent any time around them, you know being fully present can look different from day to day because moods change quickly. You just have to learn to go with the flow, and also provide some clarifying stability from time to time.
I can’t say I have a lot of advice right now about this next year other than what I’ve been told by the wise mothers who have gone before me. I’m sure as we go through this year, I will be able to share some lessons learned. For now, though, my head is clear, my heart is engaged and my budget has started. For real though, make a budget. Think about what’s going to be important to you. I’m a picture person. I like memories. So if that’s you, budget for photography. You won’t regret it. We are blessed with so many great photographers in this town and they are very affordable.
If family gatherings are important to you, be thinking about the space and environment you want. Do you want a backyard gathering? Or in a building? I’m a building kind of person because I really don’t to sweat my face off. Talk to your church. They probably have a room you could borrow.
Not everything has to be expensive, but I guarantee you, as a mom of a senior, there are tons of costs that are going to come up that you didn’t realize and add up quickly, so you need to be prepared. It’s not fun to already be somewhat emotional and then be stressed by added costs you hadn’t thought of.
Most of all, just breathe. Enjoy. Relax. Pat yourself on the back that you got them here. I guarantee their success up to this point DID have something to do with you. Celebrate that, Mom. You will only have this year once. Make it the best it can be. That’s my plan! I’m doing well right now, but I’m not going to lie, come April, I may need someone to come check on me.
