Dear Editor,
My youngest graduated from kindergarten recently, and I’m not sure how I feel about it.
I hadn’t given it any thought at all until I watched a video put together by the teachers for the graduation ceremony. That Green Day song about having the time of your life played in the background of the video, while a series of pictures flashed on the big screen.
The pictures showed the kids throughout the year, doing all the great things kindergarteners get to do. They were singing, climbing on the playground, doing art projects and building towers. Other photos were taken during field trips to the fire hall, swimming, the Birds of Prey Center, Hansen’s Family Foods and the Pioneer Lodge. In every shot, little people with sparkling eyes grinned big and unabashed.
It was the photos of those happy little faces coupled with that Green Day song that caught me off guard. I was struck with the bittersweet realization that things in my life are about to change.
For six years, I’ve been looking forward to the day when both my girls would be in school full time. There are so many reasons why. The constant requests for snacks and barrage of strange questions like, “Mom, how do snakes fart?” are just two of those reasons. Being able to work solidly for an hour or two, without being hassled to watch funny cats on YouTube is another.
But, for all the annoyances, I have to admit that I like having my kids around. I love hearing them singing to themselves and playing on the swings in the backyard. I love sharing a chocolate chip cookie at the bakery with them and Tuesday afternoons at the library. I love joking around and having big laughs and most of all I love the random hugs.
So this business of graduating from Kindergarten means more than I thought it did. It’s not just about the kids; it’s about parents and families changing. Their ceremony made it official, and there’s nothing I can do about it. Time marches on and our little people grow up. Green Day’s lyrics, “… take the photographs and still frames in your mind, hang them on a shelf in good health and good times… for what it’s worth, it was worth all the while,” have taken on a new meaning for me.
Patricia Hoskin
Fort MacLeod
