The First of the Lasts

And so it begins … The first of the lasts.

Yesterday was O’s first day of school. It’s his senior year of high school, which made yesterday his last first day.

Later this week, he has his senior yearbook photos …

It’s a slippery slope.

Soon it’ll be his last homecoming, his last football game, his last test, his last class, and so on — until ultimately, it’s his last night home before starting college.

I’m not usually one to get all sappy and sentimental, but I am starting to get in my feelings a little bit. Not enough to join any of those “Post 10 photos of your senior for 10 days” social media challenges, tagging them all with the typical, “Where has the time gone?’ caption. But enough to write this post and add a few old photos because (1) the kid was just so damn cute and (2) really, where HAS the time gone?

Maybe it’s because he’s my youngest, but this time, the last first day of high school feels different. My oldest finished high school at a boarding school five hours away from home, so it felt more like college drop-off (which had it’s own set of feelings and emotions). But O is my baby, and a totally different kid than his older brother, so it’s different. His last first day means that this time next year, we’ll be empty nesters.

So much will happen between now and then, and the feeling is bittersweet. For now, I’m doing my best not to look too far ahead. For example, this week, all I’m focused on is making sure he has at least a notebook and pen with him when he leaves the house each morning, and finding him a clean, pressed shirt to wear for his senior photos on Thursday — something that won’t make him cringe and something I don’t have to iron, unless Don Frank is in town (if you don’t get the reference, reread that post here).

After that, we’ll take it week by week. The fall will be filled with football, homecoming, and college applications, so there are sure to be plenty of ups and downs. Par for the course and fodder for this blog, for sure 🙂

So here’s to embracing all the feels as “the lasts” start rolling in … Hang on because it’s only just beginning.

— LJDT