I vividly remember my college freshman’s first day of school. 

While he never displayed the same level of excitement about school as his younger sister did, the preparations for his early school years were always exhausting. 

Getting a 6-year-old boy ready for his grand entrance into the institution where he would spend the next 12 years of his education was quite the hustle and bustle. The shopping trips, paperwork, erasable markers, number two pencils, and a quick brush of his soft brown hair - it all culminated in a bittersweet smile as he waved “goodbye” for the first time. It hit me right in the core. 

There is definitely some excitement watching your little ones prepare to take on the world and perhaps some enjoyment in having a little more time to yourself while they are at school. However, that very first day of the school year really hits you to the core. There were the years of extensive supply lists and toothless grins in school photos, as well as countless school events like recorder programs and the countless hours of practice we all endured. It led to the inevitable “talk” we all awkwardly experienced, the wrestling matches, track meets, homecomings, proms, and before you know it, you’re selecting your favorite senior picture to put up on the wall. 

The excitement on his face as he ran off the bus and back to the front steps changed throughout the years as he waved “goodbye” on that first day. 

Just last week, a day before my birthday, I bid my freshman off to college. While Chadron isn’t very far away, nobody ever talks about that. 

Our role as parents never truly ends. No matter how far our kindergartener goes in life, we will still envision that little freckle-faced 6-year-old standing in front of us when we say, “Call when you get there,” and nobody ever talks about that. 

We send them off to different towns, sometimes to other states or even different countries, and then we sit at home, hoping and praying that we have imparted all the right things. We hope that through our guidance, we have been able to instill the skills our children need as they embark on this new chapter of life. 

I’ve always heard people say how tough it is to send their kindergartener on the first day of school. But nobody ever talks about how tough it is to send your senior off to college. 

It all happens in the blink of an eye.