We are soon to be empty nest parents. Our youngest will be graduating in a few short months.
On the one hand I am so sad to see my boys grow up. I remember them climbing into my lap, begging for bedtime stories and hugs to now towering over me by a good 12 to 13 inches.
On the other hand, I am so proud of the wonderful young men that we are sending out into the world. Both of our sons are thoughtful and kind and were gifted with their dad’s brains and their mom’s sense of humor. It’s not just my two biological sons that are a source of great pride; it is the young men I have watched grow up for the last 15 years.
Friday night I joined seven other moms at the basketball game to celebrate the final home game of the seniors. The eight of us held each other tight and cried as we watched our sons, Tenton, AJ, Leo, Trent, Jayden, Cody, Nick and Ben wave to the awesome community that has supported them since they were young. In the crowd were former coaches, neighbors, classmates, and friends cheering them all on by name.
They all played for the crowd that night. You could see the pride in their eyes to be part of something bigger than themselves. Mike and I made the basketball dinner before the game. All the guys came in their dress clothes and ties. I didn’t see a kid in the bunch. All were amazing, respectful young men. They ate like grown men too!
Today we celebrated a classmate making Eagle Scout. This is a young man that gave over a thousand dollars he won Friday night to a woman with cancer. Many adults would be hard-pressed to make such a gesture, Paulie didn’t hesitate for a second. He isn’t just going through the motions of scouting; he is living the oath. I am so proud of him and all his hard work and accomplishments. I know his mom and I will be crying our eyes out graduation night as my husband Mike hands out the diplomas. We live in a close-knit community of proud parents, and I am so glad to be a part of this group.
“There are only two lasting bequests
we can hope to give our children.
One of these is roots, the other, wings.”
~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Taste of Home columnist Sandy (Anderson) Holthaus lives on a farm in South Haven, MN with her husband, Michael, and their children Zoe, Jack and Ben. Her heart remains on the North Shore where she grew up with her parents, Art and LaVonne Anderson of Schroeder. She enjoys writing about her childhood and mixes memories with delicious helpings of home-style recipes.
Leave a Reply