Weather-wise, I have to say that Summer is my least favourite season. Bugs, spiders, being hot, these are a few of my least favourite things.
However, one thing that I do love about Summer is that my boys are home and we have a more relaxed pace of life and more time together. This Summer felt transitional. There have been many transitions as my boys have gotten older and a few of them stick out to me. Walking and all the adventure that brings, turning 5 and starting school, turning 9 (this is when my true, solid memory begins for myself – I remember pretty much everything from the time I was 9 on), and then of course the transition this Summer – Jude leaving elementary school and preparing to begin middle school.
This stage feels scary for me as a mother and for Jude as well, though for different reasons. I know some of the things that he will come in contact with – the influences, the choices, the meanness that exists. There are also many things that he will come in contact with that I haven’t the faintest idea about. For Jude it is all just new and unknown. He’s doing things for the first time, things that are old hat for some of us, but it’s unknown to him.
Back to this Summer, the unknown is heading quickly toward us, we’ve said goodbye to grade school and middle school has yet to start. It felt like some of the time, I had my child, my Jude, with me. He played and pretended and was silly and carefree. Some of the time I had this new creature, Jude, my young man. He was serious and responsible and didn’t want to do “kid” stuff. It wasn’t even a day by day thing, some of the time, it was a moment by moment shift from boychild to manchild.
I am excited to get to know this new facet of Jude and I will miss the child Jude. Whichever one shows up, I’m just super thankful that I get to be his Mom and be a part of his life.
Lamppostings 