Monday, May 28, 2012

We Are Young

Both of my kids "graduated" in the last 10 days...

Ke$ha Barbie from high school...big darn deal!  She is off to Tufts in the fall and will also get to study art at the School at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.  Being the talented artist and photographer she is I know she will do well.  She has thrilled me with her choice to study Art History while at Tufts.  I can't wait for HER to teach ME about Rothko...

My son "graduated" from the 8th grade...from a school he has attended since he was 3...and a little longer if you count the times he had a "fun day" in the children's center there (a mommy's day out type of thing).

I have driven one or both of my children to that school every day for 14 years.  I am more attached to it than they are.  My son has "so moved on" to the high school that his sister attended...but for me, well driving him to school that last day was heartbreaking.

It meant so many things...

He was moving on to high school.

My son was growing up.

The place that for 14 years had nurtured my children was no longer going to be "their school".

And on a personal level I have made so many friends there...D-Nice, KuteKaren, KaringKathy (more on her later), Athenagal, and so many more.  And I have become more than friends with some of the teachers...GOTT (my "husband"...and thanks to that I can count GOTTESS as one of my dearest and best friends...but I would love her even if she had nothing to do with GOTT), TTG, Bacchus, my sweet and precious friend the history teacher (that was terrified after I was out of breath from walking the stairs with me and that sent me on my way to losing the weight), MarvelousMargaret, The Lit Queen (my son's English teacher), and so many more.  They are all people I truly truly love.

So yeah...after 14 years I am having trouble letting go...of many things.

Ke$ha Barbie's graduation was easily the proudest moment of my life.

I have not done one thing in this world that matched the feeling of love and pride I felt that night as I watched her walk into her school's stadium and then receive that diploma.  It is a tough school...and she learned so much there...and was introduced to her future (her photography)...and made friends and learned so much more than what was taught in the classroom.  She is going to an excellent university.

She.Is.Growing.Up.

And I can't stop it...

Same thing with my son.

I was once told by a terrible and bossy woman (who was not my friend) that I was "discounting" my son when I compared him to my daughter.

She.Was.Wrong.

She did that to her own kids (KuteKaren and D-Nice and Rowdy Roy and I discussed this the other night).

I.Do.Not.

My children are two very different individuals.

Ke$ha Barbie is totally a Mac...

The Cutest Boy in the World (TCBITW) is a PC.

Both are great computers...both let you find things on Google.  One is not better than the other...it's just a user thing.

I, myself, am typing this blog on a Mac.  I have a Mac because I love the giant screen and how the computer works.  But I know how to us a PC quite well too.

Does that mean I understand my Mac better?

No....my daughter tells me I am (and this is her horrible term) "Mac-tarded".

I am also Ke$ha Barbie-tarded.

(See the blog titled "Teenage Daughters").

I actually "get" TCBITW a bit better than I do my little Mac princess.

I can also be "PC-stupid".

Yes, boys (and men) allude me often.

So even when I compare my children I want to assure all of you out there in blog-land that I love my children equally and passionately and am equally proud of both of them.

Even if I use a Mac...

I may use it by I don't usually get it...same with Ke$ha Barbie.

But despite all of that, watching her get that diploma literally made me realize how incredibly lucky I am to be her mother.  She is a gift to me...and a gift to the world.

And my son, even though it was "just" 8th grade graduation...well, I was just as proud.  He is an amazing child.  I am lucky to be his mother too.

Ke$ha Barbie's graduation reminded me of my own graduation from high school.

I don't remember much...

No, it's not that I was drunk or anything...I just don't remember too much about it other than being happy my family was there and that it was hot as hell in the stadium.

And that the A/V club (do they still have A/V clubs?) messed up the senior slide show and played "Foreplay" instead of "Long Time" by Boston which was our class song.

I had a party at the house afterwards but everyone was terrified of my father and that is mostly what I remember about that night.  That and my friend Kris and I making the worst margaritas in the world.

My mother and I left soon after for a trip to Europe (where we had a stop in NYC and I got to visit Studio 54...twice...but that was so 2 blogs ago).  I'll blog about that another day...yes, it was very much "National Lampoon's European Vacation".

AngelAmy posted a photo on facebook of the two of us when we were about 17.  We went to one of those portrait studios where they dress you up in old clothes and make the photo look as if it was taken 100 years ago.  I remember AngelAmy and her size 00 body easily fitting into the old wedding dress.  I had my hair pinned up and as I look at it now I see my mother and my daughter in myself in it...except they are (were) far more beautiful than I...but I love that we all favor each other.  And I love AngelAmy for finding that old photo and reminding me of the fun time we had when we went to the mall and took it.  Thank goodness there are only photos of us at that age...I can only imagine how horrifying video would be...

On Saturday I got to celebrate graduation with several of my friends.

KaringKathy's daughter who I love to call "Gingerlocks" (because she has the MOST beautiful red hair that I so envy and she is gorgeous) graduated Saturday morning and I celebrated with her family that day at a lovely luncheon at our club.  I was honored to be one of the guests as I have watched Gingerlocks grow from an adorable toddler to the lovely young woman she is today.  I have enjoyed the journey with her mom...and she has turned out to be a girl I would proudly call my own.

Speed Racer also graduated Saturday morning...you remember him from my blog about the races ("I can't drive 55").  He is KuteKaren and Rowdy Roy's son.  He is a great young man...one I would also be so very proud to call my own.  He and his sister Super Sarah love to do things that scare me (him with the racing...her with the horse jumping) but I love them very much and I was so happy to celebrate his accomplishment with his parents.

And D-Nice also joined KuteKaren and I in the celebration.  Her son, whom I shall call "The Boy Who Would be Mine" (TBWWBM...I totally would claim him as mine) also graduated last week.  He is incredible.  I have loved watching him grow from the sweet child he was to the sweet and gorgeous young man he is today.  He is going to be a doctor.  Thank goodness cause his mama and I need SOMEONE to take care of us!

Other friends' children are graduating too...it kills and thrills me at the same time.  I have known and loved most of them since they were tiny tots...they are now such fine young men and women...and a blessing and treasure to their parents...and me...I love them all...

So I watch my children sleep most of the morning and start to enjoy their summer.  My son spent today trying to teach me how to "shoot" and catch a lacrosse ball and shooting holes in his old school notebook with an airsoft gun.  My daughter returned from a trip to the beach and now has assorted friends hanging out in my yard and pool.

Summer is here...they are young...they have so much ahead of them...

And I plan to enjoy every second of it.

Because before I know it, Ke$ha Barbie will be graduating from Tufts and my son will be walking down the track of that high school to get his diploma.

And I will continue to be lucky to be their mother...

Inspiration Song: "We Are Young" by Fun.  Great little song...starts off a bit rough but it's still a great song...and my children, even though they feel so grown up at times, are still young...

Bye Darlings...treasure every moment...it goes too quickly...

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