Cutting Strings
7:23 AM
Seven years ago I walked my first little boy into a kindergarten classroom and a string was cut. Last year I walked my last little boy into another kindergarten classroom and yet another string was cut. Somewhere in between those two, strings were cut for each of my other two boys as well. Year after year they get older, despite something inside me screaming "Why do you have to grow up?" I know this is what I should want, what I am raising them to become, but each time a new string is cut my heart aches a little more.
Their first steps, when they learned to swim, to run, to ride a bike. Each milestone takes them further away from me and closer to being on their own. And then I think. Am I doing this right? I try, but is it enough? Who knows. They don't come with instructions. All we can do is our best and pray that they end up happy.
This morning as I was getting the boys ready for their first day of school, I cut the strings that were holding their brand new shoes together, and with each cut of a string another tear fell.
Have you cut any strings lately?
12 comments
Oh girl!! I have realized more in the past couple years the strings get cut quicker and quicker.... and with every string that is cut, I get a lump in my throat and my eyes begin to leak. Last week my youngest daughter started her second year of college and next week, my oldest son will begin 10th grade and my youngest will be in the 2nd. My eyes are beginning to leak as I type about it... I think back to those tears of joy when they were born. I didn't realize how much those sweet babies would squeeze my heart from then and all along as they grow.
ReplyDeleteI think that, learning to drive & sending them to college are the most difficult of all.
ReplyDeleteMy youngest just went to 2nd grade this morning :(
ReplyDeleteBack to school is the hardest time of the year from me. After having them home for three months, it's so hard to send them back.
ReplyDeleteMy kids are 27, 24 and 21 I am still cutting strings!
ReplyDeleteMine went to 6th and pre-k today!
ReplyDeleteI'll never be good at cutting strings. I don't wanna, I don't wanna! College about killed me.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to send my baby boy (who wants to marry me) to his first day of preschool this week. It's just about going to kill me! :(
ReplyDeleteAwww. *sniffle* With a two year old it seems like we're cutting strings every day. I'm ready to cut the diaper string soon. ;)
ReplyDeleteAww Piper, I don't know what I will do when mine are that off to college.
ReplyDeleteZippy, I don't even want to think about driving right now LOL.
Nicole :( My youngest still insists he wants to marry me, but I packed him off to 1st grade this morning.
Jenn, I agree, the diaper changing string as one I was glad to cut, but it gets them that much closer to growing up.
My son is starting preschool in a few weeks…I am being pushed to send him to go, but honestly, I don't mind if he waits to start school a few more years…I don't want to lose him yet!
ReplyDeleteMine are only 2 & 3 yrs old and I'm already so sad that they're growing up. :(
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