Don't blink! You may miss something special!
Five and a half years ago, I never would have pictured myself where I am now.
A lot can happen in five years. A lot can happen in one year. No matter how prepared you think you are, life will always throw a new obstacle your way. You may feel ready for certain milestones, but you never truly know how they’ll affect you until they happen.
Today was Bennett’s first day of kindergarten.
It feels like just yesterday that I was holding him in my arms, trying to calm his crying. As a first-time parent, I had no idea how to make it stop.
So, what would any tech-savvy person do?
Google “how to stop your baby from crying,” of course.
Then you find a random video like this one, which—as weird as it was—actually seemed to work. At least I convinced myself it did at the time.
Anyway, I digress...
The day Bennett turned five, he immediately asked, “Can I go to school now?!”
He has been so excited to start kindergarten, and this morning, you could see it in his eyes. You could hear it in his voice. You could see it as he walked with his backpack—half the size of him and filled with new goodies—slung over his two little shoulders.
He was ready.
I’d be lying if I said I was.
Over the past few months, I tried to prepare myself for all the questions and worrying thoughts that run through the mind of a first-time kindergarten parent:
Will he make friends? Will he cry when he’s left alone? Will he actually like it? Will he be bullied? Will he fit in?
Even though the first thing he did was take off his shoes and put them in his locker, his first day was a success!
He left with a smile and wanted more. He talked about seeing his friends from the summer, the new class pet, and how he ate a hot corn dog—which was odd, considering we sent him with a cold packed lunch.
But there was something I didn’t prepare for: the feelings of Bennett’s little brother, Hudson, who—for the first time in his nearly three years of life—would lose his daily partner in crime.
Out of our entire family, I never would have guessed that the almost-three-year-old would be the most emotional.
When his mom dropped him off alone at daycare, you couldn’t help but see him fighting back tears, wondering why his big brother Bennett wasn’t with him. You could almost imagine the wheels spinning as his curious little mind tried to understand what was happening.
But as most things are short-lived with a three-year-old, he soon became distracted and began making new adventures with new friends at an amazing daycare.
So, long story short: Don’t blink.
The moment you do, you may miss something special. One day, you’re holding a little baby who is sound asleep in your arms. The next, it’s as if you have a little model on your hands, posing for the cover of the next GQ magazine.
