Monday, May 19, 2008

We Made It!

Our oldest is officially a high school graduate and I've realized I'm birthing an adult.

It's a lot like having a baby.

The preparation can be grueling.

There are all kinds of mood swings. You laugh and cry and worry until you get to the point where you're ready to get that sucker out.

You dread the certain pain as they leave you.

You know there will be many blessings, but are certain your life will never be the same.

Our past few weeks have been full of labor pains.

Fourteen days ago my son turned eighteen and I was faced with the fact I am now the mother of an adult child. (Mammograms, glasses, gall bladder surgery and now this! It's a wonder I haven't started using a cane!)

Last Tuesday I watched him sing his senior solo, "Home" by Michael Buble, and all I could see was my little five-year-old saying, "I wanna go home." The poor kid is sick of me saying, "You can always come home, Keygan. We will always have a place for you."

My eyes welled in church yesterday as my husband sang Mark Harris' "Find Your Wings". I couldn't hold it in as my son approached him on stage afterwards and they shared a tearful embrace.

Soon it will be time for this adult to be born and I'm a little scared. Is he ready? Am I ready? What will our family dynamics be now?

Yet I know the unspeakable joy of childbirth, seeing promise and hope in the form of an infant and I can only imagine adultbirth contains the same rejoicing. I can't wait to see what God will do for and with Keygan. He has equipped him with heart and talent and great people skills. There will be unspeakable joy again as I watch him become what God has intended. Despite the twinge of sadness I feel, I know the future will bring bigger and better things (another tidbit he's probably grown weary of hearing), not only for him, but for us all.

As he marched out of commencement yesterday I marked it as the beginning of a new phase of life for my husband and I, both exciting and bittersweet. In the next ten years we will phase out of day to day parenting and transition into something different. The light is beginning to glimmer at the end of the tunnel and I look forward to what God may have in store for us.

As we say at our house, "It's all good." Yes, I'm pretty sure I'll be doing some sweating and panting and a little crying in the next few months as we bring this adult to the world, but the end result will undoubtedly be something to behold.


12 comments:

Dianne said...

Let me be the first to congratulate you! You have a beautiful family! Your son sounds like a great kid.

Brenda said...

I don't do tears often. I can't stand to do them in public. We were out of town Sunday for my nieces graduation. Good thing I wasn't in church. They would have scraped me off the floor with a putty knife after that! Congratulations! While the adult birthing is painful for the heart seeing them succeed and grow into friends is wonderful.

Rachelle said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rachelle said...

Great comparison! God has great plans for him! (I messed up my last comment)

Anonymous said...

Beautiful! Your words...your photo...your lives - absolutely beautiful! Blessings to you all! Denise R.

Miriam Pauline said...

Tammy,
Your ability to capture the emotion of a moment into words astounds me. What a lovely tribute to your new adult! Congratulations to him! Thank you for sharing the moment with us.

Kelly said...

Congratulations, Keygan! You make me teary eyed, Tami, as I think of the inevitable with my boys, too. Children are truly such a blessing and our time with them is so short. Praying for this new adventure for all y'all.

Anonymous said...

What a great picture of your family! (Undoubtably it was taken by a professional! Ha!) Your blog was such a great analogy....I have had Keygan in my thoughts a lot here lately. I know it must be hard for you, but letting him go and be his own person is so important. I have enjoyed watching you and Kevin parent him through HS. I just know God will bless his life and it will be a great one! (Not to mention your relationship with him as an adult will be wonderful too!) Thanks for showing me how I might parent an older boy...Lord knows I'll be picking your brain in the years to come! Love you!

Living Beyond said...

Oh Oh I get to see you - I JUST KNEW you had dark hair lol.

Congratulations on bring your children up well - may God continue to lead your son and perfect that which concerns him.

Susan said...

Tami,

This was so beautiful...

Loved the family picture too! I didn't know your son sang and your husband too. Oh my!

I wish I could of seen him singing this Sunday and then that embrace, OK, you got me all choked up!!

Welcome to this next phase of life, it's keeps gettng better and better...

Susannah said...

Speechless (well, almost) and grinning. It's all good.

Next comes college graduation, and before you know it... an engagement!

Love you, Tami. :~D

P.S. Your family photo is delicious.

Pamela (His maidservant) said...

Tami-it is an emotional moment and though we fear for our children and their life, the choices they make on their own, we have to trust thatthe spiritual foundation we raised them in will be there to guide them. Your family is beautiful! Congratulations to you and your son!!

In His Graces~Pamela