If your social media accounts are anything like mine, the start of September may have left your feeds inundated with a vast number of first day of school pictures. Photo after photo of smiling, excited new preschoolers, almost toppling under the weight of their cute little backpacks. Maybe you found it a little much, thought it was overkill even. “Not another one,” you might have inwardly groaned. “They’re just going to school- what’s the big deal?”
I confess, before I had children of my own, I was probably one of those people. Yet I’ve come to realize that moments like this, well, they are a big deal. They are moments worth celebrating. Not only because the moment itself is a momentous one, as our little ones take very tentative little steps towards their independence in that big scary world (sob!), but because it also represents the millions of tiny moments it took to get to this very one.
Behind every smiling child, and their proud parents behind the camera, there is a journey. The lessons that had to be taught and learned, the battles that had to be fought, the challenges that had to be overcome. Our challenge has been one of adaptation. Or more specifically my daughter’s lack of it. To look at her here you wouldn’t know it. You may not see it, yet it’s there. It has been our story.
She stands there with pigtails. Pigtails! There was a time I couldn’t even brush her hair without tears. Hair bands, bows, clips, forget it. That hair was wild and free. Thank goodness it was short! Yet here we are. Mommy is granted the privilege of styling her hair and believe me, we do not take that for granted. A moment to celebrate.
The water bottle. We honestly thought she’d be drinking out of a sippy cup in high school. Our cupboards are still full of our rejected attempts to instill change. Bottles that were the wrong size, or shape, or color. Bottles with lids or spouts, or that, God forbid, had a straw. This month she went to Target and chose two new ones for school, just like that. No issues, no fuss. A moment that to anyone else would seem insignificant, but to us it was epic. A moment to celebrate.
There are snacks in her little lunch bag that not so long ago she would not eat- our food battle being the biggest one to date. Foods being typically rejected on the basis of their unfamiliarity. Their look, color, texture, all carefully inspected before being cast into the reject pile. We’ve encouraged and threatened, bribed and bargained to get to this stage. Where she will at least try. She will eat cupcakes at a friends birthday party or enjoy a special treat at Dunkin. I no longer have to cut a blueberry into eight(!) pieces. For these seemingly small yet momentous achievements we are so thankful. We celebrate.
There are other moments too. Tolerating trying on new shoes in a store. Riding a pony for the first time. Using the potty at school. Seemingly small moments that represent unimaginable progress. Moments that deserve recognition, and so much celebration.
There are many many other journeys represented in these photos that litter your newsfeed. Maybe it was the long road to fertility, or the rainbow after loss. Maybe it was the endurance of a difficult pregnancy or a long post-partum recovery. Maybe it was developmental challenges, the battle to get your child the services they needed to make the progress they are showing today. Maybe they didn’t sleep, or eat, or play well with their friends. Whatever it was, or is, never underestimate what it has taken to get here. The patience, the perseverance. The worrying and the despairing. The prayers and the sleepless nights. The hope.
So bear with us, friends. Be kind. Humor us if you must. Allow us the privilege to rejoice in this moment, that is ours as much as it is theirs. It is a moment to celebrate and be thankful for, and you are all invited to the party!
