A Major Milestone, or Caving in to a Whitney Houston Song?

So yesterday was one of those milestone days—my youngest had her kindergarten “moving up” ceremony, and I found myself crying like a little girl.

Now, I know there are many moms out there who get very emotional over their kids' accomplishments. I’m not one of them. It's not that I don’t care, or I don’t have emotions—of course I do. It’s just that I’m not easily brought to tears. 

(Well, that’s not completely true: any movie that shows an animal getting hurt is a totally different story—I’m a blubbering mess. But when it comes to day-to-day life, not so much.)

Anyway: I’m sitting in the audience like at any other elementary school event—on an uncomfortable folding chair, watching the little ones line up on the bleachers and sing silly songs. All good. I’m proud, I’m impressed and even a little melancholy, but I’m good.

Then the teachers start reading “letters to the parents” about how proud they are of our kids, how far they’ve come since September, how much they’ve learned, how ready they are to move on to first grade. OK, I’m starting to feel a little mushy. 

Then, the grand finale: my daughter’s teacher starts to sing a song—a Whitney Houston song. Now, I’m not really a fan of Whitney. I start looking at my watch and thinking of all the things I still have to do before noon. Then, she starts singing. As it turns out, and I never realized this, her teacher has an absolutely amazing voice and I start to pay attention. The song was “The Greatest Love”

I believe the children are our are future
Teach them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty they possess inside
Give them a sense of pride to make it easier
Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be

Whitney fan or not, I’m now sobbing. Yikes! I’m sniffling, wiping tears from my eyes and looking around, hoping I’m not the only one. Thankfully, my friend behind me is wiping her eyes just as much as me.

So, what’s my point? Through the wonderful words of Whitney and the beautiful voice of the teacher, it finally hit me. My “baby” is no longer a baby. She’s growing up fast, and the future is coming quick. As much as I can complain about the daily parental grind and wishing time away, this year really did just fly by. It’s the end of June and another school year is over—the little one will be in first grade next year. Her older sister will be in fifth grade, the oldest class in the school. Then comes middle school, and before we know it high school. The future is coming fast… and I need it to slow down.

Today, the milestone was not necessarily the “moving up ceremony.”  It was the fact that I realized an important thing: right now is precious. It’s about time I start to enjoy the here and now, and accept the fact that right now, life is pretty darn good. My little one is a really cool kid—right now. My older one is equally amazing, with her own list of accomplishments and great traits—right now. My husband loves me and still makes me laugh—right now. I’m lucky enough to have my Mom living with me so my kids can get to know their Grandma first hand, and I have three amazing brothers, a great extended family, and an amazing group of friends—who all share this life with me right now. So why am I wishing the time away?

In short, it was a big moment, all brought on by a Whitney song that I never really liked. The reality is that it did move me and got me thinking. From here on, I just have to keep reminding myself: enjoy the kids being kids. Enjoy my family. Enjoy my friends. Enjoy life a little more, right now.