Today, my youngest begins 7th grade.
So I walked her to school, but only part way.
She met up with friends, and I scooted away.
In this parenting journey, I note milestones when life changes. After walking children down that hill for a decade–yes, a decade!–I’m phasing out of this part of my life. I walked around the neighborhood a bit and greeted children. I told the younger children to have a great day. I shook hands with a couple who were walking their children to school like I once did all those beautiful years.
I stopped by the raspberry patch where once all the children ate their “power pellet” of a raspberry because the neighbors let us. I stopped by the enormous oak tree where we noted how big the acorns were that year. I thought about all those walks. I’m so happy I walked children to school. I’m so happy for a neighborhood, for public school, for children, and for the simplicity of walking alongside them as they all grow up.