Last day in School!

Wednesday moring last week was going to be like any other school morning. I promised myself the night before that I wouldn't treat it any different. But alas, as the 7am alarm went off, my good intentions went out the window. I got out of bed with a tear in my eye and woke the baby with that same tear running down my cheek. This was no ordinary school moring, this was my last ever school morning. 

As mother to three sons I have been doing the school morning routinefor 20 consecutive years now. September 1996 saw my first born son go off to school for his first day. I recall how he told me at the school door: “Mum you go home now.” I remember leaving and feeling proud that my little man wasn't crying to come home with me like many of the other children that day. 

September 1999 saw my second son go off to his first day at school and the experience was much the same as the one before. 

Then in September 2002, the baby of the family went off on his first day of school. This was hard as now there was no one at home during the day except myself. During the two previous first day at school experiences, there was always another child to go home to.  

Over those 20 years I woke the boys for school every day, and I was home every evening when shcool was over. Being her full time didn't make me a better mum than a a working mum. It was just who I was. And it made me into the person I am today. I hope it helped shape the children into who they are today.  

Just last week someone laughed when I told them I had the 7am alarm to set as it was yet another

 school morning. This person couldn’t believe that I didn’t start work that day until 10am and yet

 I was getting up at 7 to see my 18year old off to school. In 20 years, I’ve never not seen my boys off to school in the morning!

So as breakfast was eaten on that morning, it was with a tear still there in my eye. The baby is all 

grown up and had just departed for his last ever school day.

I’m so fortunate in that these 20 years of school days really have been the best that they could be.

Primary school saw all three boys taught by the best possible teachers. Some of those teachers

influence I can still see in the boys to this day.

Secondary school was much the same. Teachers came and went and with each one, something 

new was learned. We were very fortunate that both schools served all three of the boys to the highest degree.

So now as the baby had left home for the last school day of our lives, I was not ashamed to have 
shed that tear. It was a very sad occasion but it was also a very joyous one. It was a day when I was 
going to pat myself on the back. A day I told myself, “well done you.” And it was a day I looked 
to the future. A future filled with with new possibilities for the boy and for me. There’s no more 
school lunches to be made. For that I’m grateful. 

So it’s here that the new journey begins. It’s here I set off on my own. Mum is no more the
 ‘school taxi’, no more the ‘7am alarm’ and no more the Mum of a school boy. Mum is off on
 her journey now. And that’s going to be a journey worth travelling. Maybe you’ll travel some of 
it with me.

And for the last time I said that morning, “Have a good day in school kiddo.”