Last week I most likely had the last parent teacher conference of my life.
Like most of the passings in life, it happened almost with note: sitting there with Nighean Dhonn's home room teacher as she walked through the questions and answers she had prepared. Sometime, between the question and the response, came the realization that this was the last one.
I have going to conferences since 2003 (yes, in this modern age even pre-schools have conferences). That I can recall, I made them all (the only one's I would have missed is if I were absent from the location traveling). Mostly twice a year for each child, so at some point we hit six a year.
And now, suddenly, that is all gone.
It is a rather poignant portent of the fact that things are changing on a scale faster than I suppose I can appreciate: Nighean Gheal is in her second year of college in Hong Kong and off to Italy next year (and this is quite likely the last summer she might be home), Nighean Bhean is finishing high school and will be off to college next year, and Nighean Dhonn is finishing middle school and off to high school next year, and somewhere else four years after that.
The world begins rushing by us faster and faster, while slowly we are turned to stone.
Time is definitely rushing by.
ReplyDeletePerhaps a portent?
Congratulations to Number 2!
A sad time for us parents.
ReplyDeleteIf we do our job as parents well, our children will leave home. Certainly having healthy children who are able to do so is a blessing, but Leigh is right, it can be sad for parents.
ReplyDeleteTime is indeed rushing by, Linda. And thank you for congratulations to Number 2. Hopefully I will have an update soon.
ReplyDeleteLeigh - It is. And it caught me completely by surprise.
ReplyDeleteTURNED TO STONE? That is not worthy of you. You still have almost half your life ahead of you. You will be free of your major obligations and have already learned simplicity. I can't wait to see what God has ahead for you. It is an adventure with different rules. You have slimmed down your outward life, now work on slimming down your inner, spiritual one. Fasten your seat belt. Julia
ReplyDeleteJulia - Turned to stone only in the sense that in many ways, life (the wash of modern life, you understand) is rapidly passing me by. In so many ways - growing every day - I am not the target market or target audience for society.
ReplyDeleteFor the rest - yes, you are right. Both The Ravishing Mrs. TB and myself are finding our ways to simplicity and starting to explore the fact that life is starting to work differently - and in a few more years, will work very differently indeed. I am humbled and (oddly enough) excited by the thought.