Reflections of a Senior Parent

I vividly remember Vincent’s first day of senior year at Davidson Day School. That evening, tears welled up in my eyes as I put together the obligatory split-screen picture: “first day of kindergarten/first day of senior year” to send to family and friends. The old clichés kept running through my mind: “They grow up so fast,” and “Before you know it, they’ll be going off to college.” It did happen so fast…he is going to college. Is he ready for this? Am I ready for this?

It feels like just yesterday that I was his chauffeur to school, after-school activities, sports, haircuts, playdates, and more. Then, once he got his driver’s license at 16, he didn’t need me as much. With each passing month, he gained more independence, and I began to see him around the house less and less.

The next big milestone was junior year. We had always heard it would be the hardest, but the first half of senior year gave junior year some stiff competition. Essays, applications, transcripts, grades, homework, tests, sports, extracurricular activities, work, family, friends. Rinse and repeat…every…single…day. And I was only a bystander.

Watching your child work so hard and come into adulthood is wonderful yet surreal. The highs can be exhilarating—like when they receive their first college acceptance, validating their efforts and boosting their self-worth, or when they deliver their senior speech to the entire Upper School student body and faculty. And then there are the lows—like when they receive their first rejection from a school they considered a safety. Whatever the situation, you realize you have never been prouder of your child than during those moments. It’s the culmination of every experience and situation they’ve learned to manage in their young lives. The range of emotions is wild and erratic, but I wouldn’t change a minute of it. 

As we approach the “2,340 days of school completed” mark, everything has led to this moment of sending the Class of 2024 off to college. If they don’t need you as much now, then you’ve probably done a lot right, including the choice to educate them at Davidson Day, surrounded by an incredible and supportive school community. While the days of their young lives can feel long, the years fly by. Vincent is more than ready for this new chapter, and while I will miss him terribly, I know he has a solid foundation. He, like all his classmates, has worked hard to earn these opportunities. I am excited to see where he goes and honored to have a front-row seat to his journey. I’ll be the one wearing waterproof mascara and holding a handful of Kleenex.