I have been hearing for the past few years about the first of the last once your kids become seniors in high school. Walker has been looking at colleges for the past few months. It is overwhelming to say the least. He has worked hard his entire school career and has been looking forward to this step for a long time.

Fall season sports and activities have almost come to a close and for some it will be the last time they will be playing among their friends on the soccer team. This is no different for Walker. I try not to think of it as the first of the last but instead the first of the first.

When they were little we celebrated first steps, first foods and first teeth. Why does it have to stop there. It may be the last time they are doing high school things but it is also the first time they will be experiencing other things for the first time. I am trying to not mourn the first of the last but celebrate the first of the first.

For the first time I see him managing and multi-tasking deadlines, applications and schedules. All part of adulthood. I watch and he is navigating it better than I could imagine. Though I don’t put my kids on a pedestal they do make me proud. It’s for that reason I encourage them to reach for their dreams. I never want them to wonder…. what if? They can at least say I tried. I don’t want them to give up on their dreams. Too many kids and even adults have their dreams squashed by someone who didn’t believe in them.

So this mom is going to continue to celebrate the first of all the firsts and not think about the first of the last. Nothing is ending for these kids… it’s just the beginning of wonderful things to happen for each of them.