Better Late Than Never

Be gentle, it's my first time. I admit it. I am not one of those moms who gets emotional about every little milestone in my children's lives. I only get mildly emotional about even the big ones. I laughed and clapped when they took their first steps, but I did not call every known family member, nor did I weep for joy. I have not saved every single project they ever brought home from school or day camp. I do not have dozens of pictures from each and every birthday party. That's why it took me by surprise when I had my first big emotional moment in the life of one of my children. It was, are you ready for this, high school graduation.

That's right I got through eighteen and a half years of parenting, fifteen of those years with more than one child, without ever once losing it over one of my kids. My family looked at me like I was from another planet, and the real mom had perhaps been abducted by aliens,as I sat there on the football field bleachers with tears streaming down my face and heart-rending sobs wrenching my throat. Who knew? At long last, just before he was ready to leave my home, I finally had a full-fledged emotional reaction to one of my child's milestones. Thank goodness, I'm a natural mom after all.