Welp, he did it. My oldest graduated high school.
As his mom, it feels both beautiful and hard.
Never did I imagine it would come so quickly, regardless of how many times people told me, “It goes so fast.”
But here we are. And, indeed, it went much too fast.
As I poured through photographs trying to decide what to display at his graduation party, I found myself going down memory lane.
The photos felt like evidence of something I’ve always known but somehow still wasn’t prepared for: they go from being held… to flying before we’re ready.
But those photos also hold something else — the most precious memories.
In an instant, I could be taken back to that age, that place, that moment with him. The sound of his laugh. The way he looked at the world. The little things I didn’t realize I’d someday miss.
And somewhere along the way, I realized something else too.
The older he got, the fewer photos I had.
I’m sure part of that is just life. Less time together. More time with friends. More independence. More becoming who he’s meant to be.
And I know that as he moves out and moves into his own life, fewer photos may continue to be part of the story.
But if there’s one thing this season has reminded me, it’s this: I want to take advantage of the moments that make sense to grab the photo.
Not perfection. Not forced.
Just the moments worth remembering.
Because someday, I’ll want to go back there again.
And I want him to be able to, too.
So we can remember.
