As my oldest is getting ready to start her freshman year, I find myself asking where did the last 13 years go?!? How am I looking at high school curriculum already?? Why is her dad letting practice driving?! She’s not old enough for that!

After chatting with a friend today, who’s son is also starting his freshman year, it made me realize that it’s not until our kiddos became teenagers that we started to see just how short our time with them really is. It’s almost like they turned 14 and we hopped on an emotional roller coast with panic in the lead car.

The rollercoaster is filled with worries that we failed them, haven’t prepared them enough, haven’t spent enough time with them, won’t get to do all the things we had planned and the list could go on and on. We get mad at ourselves, we cry, we make plans, we break plans, then the cycle starts all over again as we try to cram everything we think we’ve missed in.

Can you relate? If so let me be a voice of encouragement saying you are doing a good job momma! We will honestly never feel like we’ve prepared them enough or spent enough time with them. If you are showing up, loving them, spending time with them and doing your best, then you are not failing them. Let’s take a deep breath together, because I need one too, and enjoy the time we have left with them before we send them out into the world.

If no one has told you today……you are loved and valued!