AuburnChick's Adventures

Last Thursday night, Podunk High School had its last home football game for the season.

As such, it was dubbed “Senior Night.”

The school would be honoring the senior members of the football team, cheerleading squad, and band.

As you know, Rooster is a senior this year.

I wasn’t sure how I felt going into the evening.  I figured I would be a bit emotional.

The presentation was held right before the game started.

It was very well organized.

Moms were given beautiful corsages to wear…

The football players were announced first, followed by the cheerleaders.

The band went third.

It was obvious that they had saved the best for last.

😉

We were lined up alphabetically.

Band members were dressed in their formal uniforms.

At nearly six feet tall, Rooster towered over the Mr. and me.

We enjoyed some light conversation as we waited on the sideline.  We even joked with other parents about performing silly antics when it was our turn in the limelight.  After all, it was our time to shine.  We’d waited for this moment for a long time.

There were people posted along the way.  I think they were there to direct us, but as we paused at each stopping point, we were congratulated with warm words and firm handshakes.

We made our way to the 40-yard line.

We paused.

We walked from the sideline to the middle of the field and paused again.

I put my arm through Rooster’s crooked elbow.

As I laid my hand on his uniform-clad arm, I felt the seriousness of the moment.

We moved forward to the 50-yard line…the center of the field…and made a sharp turn left.

We were facing the ROTC members who were lined up with their swords held aloft to form a canopy…

We took a deep breath.

I prayed that I wouldn’t do something dumb like trip over my own feet.

The administrator doing the announcing was my sweet friend, Carol.  She’s been a big supporter of mine.  I knew she would say my name properly (silent “h”).

It seemed surreal…making that short walk with Rooster.

I felt such pride in the amazing young man standing beside me.

His strong arm propelled me forward…toward a future that will one day see him leaving home to begin his new adventure as a college student.

We stopped for the “official” picture…the moment captured for posterity…our smiles reflecting our joy…mine masking the bittersweet feelings inside.

I didn’t have much time for musing though.  The ROTC presented colors after all of the seniors had been recognized…

The football team ran through the spirit banner…the last time many of those guys would play as the home team…

The rain that fell during the opposing team’s halftime show did nothing to dampen spirits…

By the time Podunk High School’s band took the field, the rain had stopped.  However, the woodwind section had put all of their instruments away to protect them, so they hummed the notes while they marched and held up invisible instruments.  I wish I could show you photos, but I don’t want to post pictures of the students’ faces.  It was quite a sight though!

After halftime, the drumline settled in on the track and played various cadences.  This has always been one of my favorite portions of the games…

Look at those wet drums!

I didn’t arrive home until after ten o’clock.

It had been a long, emotional day.

I was beat.

It was my last Senior Night.

I wondered, as I do even now while I’m typing this, where the time went.

It seems like only a few days ago when Chicky was walking across the soccer field for her Senior Night.  Now, she’s a sophomore in college.

Soon, I’ll be bidding adieu to my boy…my easy-going (most of the time) child who seems to genuinely enjoy hanging out with me.

The formality of the evening…uniform, corsage, ROTC swords…made everything seem so official.

And it was.

And it continues to be.

I can’t turn back time.

I can’t even will it to slow down.

All I can do is march along with it, do the best I can to keep up, and enjoy every moment.

Filed under: children | Tagged: childrearing, parenting |