from celebration to orientation

last sunday we were celebrating her high school graduation.

this sunday we are on a plane heading to her college orientation.

yep, that about sums up this thing called parenting. this thing called kids. this thing called in-the-blink-of-an-eye.

our theme music: the final countdown.

and, of course, i feel my heels dig in and my back stiffen up. i want to brace myself in this progression of next things. but i know, more than bracing myself, i must embrace her and the moment and the beautiful mystery of watching a child move on ...

we are learning to linger even when time doesn’t allow.
we are learning to pause when everything else pushes ahead.
we are desperate to hold that which hurries away.

all week i’ve wanted to post a few pictures of emily’s party. and so tonight, as the sun sets and the plane flies south, i am taking this suspended sliver of time and sharing last week’s celebration. maybe a final hurrah to the high school things she sheds.
for tomorrow morning will come. and the progression of time will continue. and we will all move on and into the next thing. but tonight, this plane, it allows me to pause.

to breathe ... to dwell ... to linger just a tiny bit longer on last week. 

the next things will come.
tomorrow always does.

   ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

the party. it was a lot of work -- no doubt about that -- but worth every crazy minute. pure pleasure for this mama to plan food and photos and decorations and details. 

i’ve thrown a ga-zillion birthday parties for my kids over the years, but this was my first graduation party --- and it felt special. different. we don’t have to do anything to warrant a birthday – they just come. but this graduation thing, it’s different … there’s a long road which leads to this place. a road which has had its share of hard work and hard days and hard bumps. and so to be at this place where we can cut a cake and order balloons and turn up the music --- well, that’s pretty cool. i know you parents of recent grads know. i feel the nod of your heads. you know -- that’s a place worth celebrating well. that's a place well earned.

emily, we are so proud of you!

friends and family ... you're the best! thank you for stopping by and celebrating with us! i want you to know that night as emily was going through cards and replaying moments from her party she was downright overwhelmed with the love. like it about took her breath away. not what she got, but what she's been given. the people who love her, support her, celebrate her. she felt the immense humbling of that --- a beautiful thing. thank you for that gift, dear ones. thank you.