A Girl from MS and a Boy with MS: Graduation Time

My baby is not a baby anymore. Oh sure, I will always look at her as my sweet, chunky baby who changed our lives forever, but today, she is a little girl. Anabelle is graduating preschool. She has been working on songs, facts, poems, and a program for months. She is so proud of herself for memorizing everyone's part and knowing exactly what to do and when to do it. She has been waiting for this day for months, and I have been secretly dreading this day since she started preschool. The great thing is, she is ready for kindergarten and is so excited about going. She wants to learn and meet more friends, and I could not be more proud of her will and excitement to do this.

I think the person it will hit hardest today will be Josh. Anabelle is a Daddy's girl. She knows just what to say or do to make him agree to anything. I have watched her paint his nails, fix his hair, and put makeup on him. I have watched him dress dolls and talk to them as if they are real. He fixes her hair for school, picks out her clothes, and snuggles with her at bedtime. The first time Anabelle ever went to daycare, Josh was the one to take her in and drop her off. He went to the classroom and placed Anabelle on the floor with some toys. He said as he was leaving, she kept leaning back to watch him go and kinda toppled over. It was all he could do to get to his car. After that, he said he went to a parking lot, parked his car, and cried. I don't see Josh cry much, so I can only imagine what he felt. For those that know him, he can come across as "hard", but man he is a softie when it comes to his kids.

I think about the way I feel right now about Anabelle and the little boys. Now that I have kids, I know how my mom and dad must have felt when we hit milestones. It is bittersweet. So much happiness, but a little bit of sadness that certain phases are coming to an end.

I was thinking on the way to work about "graduation time." Many of my students say that they don't feel like they should be leaving high school. Of course, they are ready to get out of school, but they just can't imagine transitioning to the college phase. I kinda feel like this as an adult. I have to remind myself that I have been out of college for 8 years. I have been married for 7 years. I have 3 children, a dog, a cat, and a mortgage. Wowzers- I am an adult! I feel like since the MS diagnosis, Josh and I have both realized we are in the adult phase. Nothing like an incurable disease to make you realize that 1. You have to make adult decisions 2. You have to plan for the unknown 3. You can't call your parents anymore and expect them to take care of it- You are now the parents, therefore it is your responsibility. The emotions, the doctor's visits, the meds, the co-pays, all of these things just rub it in that we are "adults." I am excited for Anabelle today. While she might think she is so grown up, she still has so much time to be a child- to learn, explore, dance, sing, and just be Anabelle without the worries or the weight of the world on her shoulders. Congratulations to my ~~baby-~~ little girl- Oh the places she will go, the things she will accomplish, and the lives she will touch!