Graduation

There are certain events in life that have me (and maybe you too?) reflecting on the past, evaluating the present and looking toward the future. Graduations are one of those events. This blog entry in ramblings of some of the MANY thoughts and feelings I have been having reflecting on June and graduations.

This year my first child is graduating high school. This special occasion is stirring up all sorts of thoughts and emotions. My husband and I are very proud of all she has accomplished, overcome and who she is becoming. She's worked hard and has big goals for the next 5 plus years. Those big plans include heading off to college which I know will have me and the rest of our family missing her.

Her graduation also has me thinking about my graduation and who I was in high school.  I look at my 3 daughters today and think back on who I was when I was their ages. It makes me count my blessings. There are similarities. I struggled with the "mean girls", the self doubt and insecurities, the pressure for grades and so on that my girls also struggle with. I was told I was smart and I know my girls are so I guess we are alike there too. But I think that might be where the similarities end. They don't get caught up in cliques and trends and I got caught up in trying to fit in. I got caught up in a guy who made me feel I was wanted and needed and yet like I was nothing at the same time; they aren't in dating relationships (and are better at spotting "red flags" than I was). I got really lost somewhere in high school or college where my daughters seem strong in knowing who they are (and who they are not). I am so grateful that my girls haven't gotten caught up in the things I did. They have struggles but they have made better choices along the way than I did.

Watching Sam with her friends going through their senior year has me thinking about my friends. My second daughter, who knows WAY more than I do about most things, tells me that statistically, if you have been friends for 7 years, you are likely to be friends for life. I find myself very grateful that I have several friends who fit this description. Friends who have stayed my friends in spite of my poor decisions, lack of communication (we had no FB or social media - just phones and letters and I was bad with both) and over long distances. I am so grateful for these friends who were and are always there. I hope that my daughter and her friends have the same type of relationships that stand the tests of time. My friends were and are the ones who help me remember who I am and what is truly important in life. They are the ones that helped me find myself when I have gotten lost along the way. I think my daughters (all 3) have this type of friendships and for that I am grateful.

I don't know what the future holds for me, my oldest daughter, her friends or for my other 2 daughters. I know that today, I can embrace the relationships I have with my family, friends and neighbors. I can pray for those I love (and for those who challenge me). I can pray for the choices I make on a daily basis. I can thank God for the journey I have been on, who I have become, for the friends (those from my childhood and my newer friends too) who have helped me find my way when I have lost it and I can thank God for never giving up on me, even when I gave up on Him. I can pray for the choices my children make, their relationships and for their futures.