Happy and Sad.....All at the Same Time

First Day of School 2011

First Day of School 2008

That's how I've been feeling the past few days:  happy and sad....all at the same time.  Why?  Happy that our four children are healthy, happy, and were able to begin a new school year, but on the other hand, sad that time goes by so very quickly and our children will be grown and gone from home before we know it.  Those of you who have already experienced it know exactly what I am talking about.

It seems like yesterday our oldest, Lauren, was beginning kindergarten, excited about her new venture and a little excited to be going to school all day.  Now she's begun her junior year.  Only one more first day of school left in this chapter of her life.  Exciting to watch her grow, learn, and experience all high school has to offer, but sad that it's almost over.  Excited to think that soon she'll be off to college, and eventually become a wife and mother (and I'll be a grandma!), but hard to believe that is even a possibility within a few short years!

Our second oldest, Zachary, began high school this year.  He was my biggest baby at birth and it's looking like he may be the tallest of all of our children.  He's changed more this summer than ever and has become a young man right before our eyes. Not having a brother myself, watching the boys grow up has been interesting and fun! Such happy thoughts, yet so sad!

And then Jacob, the third oldest.  Now officially a teenager and playing junior high sports.  So exciting that he and Zachary will be playing on the JH teams together in several sports!  He says he'll always stay close to home, won't go far for college or even after he's married and a dad. (However, we've warned him he HAS to leave home by age 21! We love him, but love him enough to tell him that big rule! :)  How happy it makes me feel that he loves us and his home enough to be content to stay here, but how sad it is that 18 or 21 will be here before long.

Last, but certainly not least, our youngest, Tyler.  He's grown up faster than any of the others, it seems.  Just yesterday we were talking about the day he was born.  All of his siblings had just gone to their grandparent's house and thirty minutes later they got the call that their new brother had arrived!  Now Tyler is excited about being a big 3rd grader, getting to join 4-H in January, and being able to show goats for the whole year this year, instead of just at the local and county fairs.  We all enjoy his stories and dreams and look forward to watching him pursue those dreams.  We'll all be sad to see him grow up because he's the youngest.  Right now it seems like we've got a while before he's leaving home, but in reality those years will fly by - just as the others have.

Another sad and happy thought is the end of summer fun without school and without much of a schedule.  Monday I took the three boys to play golf.  (I'm convinced that golf is a character-building sport!)  After a few squabbles and bad attitudes and a time of having to not play for a few holes because of those problems, I was thinking to myself, "Why did I choose to bring these boys to play golf today.....my last day of summer when we could have slept a little later?"  I was sad and a little bit mad!  But then, attitudes got adjusted, squabbles ceased and the boys were having fun playing golf together and I was happy!  Happy that I had gotten up really early and used that last free summer day to take the boys golfing.  Happy and sad....all at the same time!

I'm sure there will many more days of happy and sad thoughts this school year.  The happy thoughts just need to greatly outnumber the sad thoughts!  Life will go on and time will pass.  Children will grow up and parenting will be accomplished.

What about you?  What are your happy and sad all-at-the-same-time thoughts?

Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him. Psalm 127:3