To the Mama whose baby went off to school today...

To the mom whose baby went off to school today, I see you.  I remember the gut wrenching sadness of knowing that someone else would have my baby for 8 hours a day. I remember knowing that my children's safety was turned over to someone else for the majority of the week. I remember thinking that they would now spend more time in the care of others than with me for the next 13 years. I remember thinking that I wish I would have held them more when they were home every day with me. I remember thinking that the last five years had been the fastest of my life. I remember hoping and praying that I had done everything right. I remember praying that I had taught them to be kind to others, to wait their turn, to use their manners, to wash their hands after using the restroom and before they eat, to not drink from the water fountain. I remember hoping and praying that they would be a light to others that they come in contact with. I remember praying that they would remember their personal boundaries and use their voice if that was ever violated. I remember praying that they would not learn about things that would violate their innocence. I remember hoping and praying that they would not bully or be bullied. I remember hoping that their teachers would love them and they would feel cared for. And, thanks to some incredibly wonderful loving women they had just that. 

But, most of all, I remember feeling lost. I had invested 8 years of my life with kids at home I had spent every day having someone that needed me. I wasn't ready to not be needed daily. I remember begging my husband for another baby and him telling me that I just couldn't keep having kids every time one started school... I remember thinking how fast it had gone with my step-son and that I would blink one day and these boys would be leaving for college. I remember going to the grocery store that morning & the cashier asking where my buddy was & breaking down in tears unable to speak.

Just know that you're not alone. I see you and feel you. Know that this is a new chapter. You've done your job and they won't forget that. They will come home excited to tell you about all they've learned & the friends they've met. Know that there will be time now to work on you, to get back to who you were before becoming Mommy. Know that there will be time for lunch with your husband, uninterrupted. Know that you will be able to find time for pedicures, yoga, lunch with friends, self-development. Know that now is a time to find yourself & reignite your dreams. Know that there is life after the baby goes to school. And, know that if you need a friend to have lunch with and... *gasp* a glass of wine in the middle of the day, I'm your girl!