The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.

A Senior Mom's Last Request

by Dessa Rodeffer,
Publisher/Editor

18 August1999

I suppose they will take him at Southern::my son::whom I have not registered yet.

I just can't believe it is time for school again. When did the summer come and where did it go?

Thursday is the last day to register for school at Southern between 8 a.m. and noon. I'll be there before noon, if I must.

But you see, he will be a senior, and he is my last child. Why should I be in a hurry to push him through high school and send him off into this big world of uncertainties and chaos.

Football will be a special challenge this year playing teams we have never seen in towns we've never been in.

College brochures have been filling our mailbox, thanks to Dan Ashton's Cornerstone connection.

The senior pictures are scheduled, school clothes have been purchased, a larger book bag bought, but frankly, I am not anxious to go to registration tomorrow.

Maybe, if I put it off, it will somehow not make this year go so fast.

I use to feel uneasy when I sent my children to kindergarten for the first time. I am not sure if there is that strange feeling any more for mothers who work. Children have already experienced daycare, preschool, and by the time they reach kindergarten it becomes "old hat" to everyone.

As I thought about the exciting "senior year" for Matt and all his classmates and friends, I didn't really think about his "final" year until registration time. The discussions of which classes to take, the teachers' comments, coaches instructions, and homework have been part of our household since 1970 when Tami, began kindergarten.

This is the final chapter for our immediate family at Southern and I hope to slow this year down in as many ways as I can. I will savor the moments.

So excuse me if I linger a little longer this year when leaving the football games...and if I shed a tear when everyone else is yelling "hit'em hard!"

Excuse me if I sit through some school rehearsals, linger a little longer at the school musicals and plays which the kids put so much energy into.

And as I linger at the pregame meals, admiring the hard working parents who are always there to chip in, teachers with so much kindness and patience, and visit with classmates of Matt's who have grown up oh, so fast, don't be surprised if you have trouble getting my attention.

I may be making more frequent trips into the office to bring forgotten uniforms, books, or lunch money, but it is my way of holding on to the cherished part of motherhood.

You see, I am not ready to add one more graduate to the senior portraits on Southern's walls. It may take me the entire school season.

So teachers, be strong with our seniors as you prepare them for what lies ahead, but be especially soft with their moms and dads as they linger behind.