I've been trying the entire school year to get two certain girls to walk into school by themselves.
The older one (believe it or not) was the most hesitant. I tried a count-down - okay two more weeks until you get to walk into school all by yourself! YAY! (Insert Happy Excited Smiling Face and Hands Clapping for Joy.) Once the countdown was over, I drove through the drop-off line despite the tears from the back-seat. "This will be good for them" I kept telling myself. "You have to teach your kids to do hard things and to be independent" I repeated this over and over again through the crying. I had to practically push my 2nd grader out of the car. She proceeded to stand there on the sidewalk of the school kicking and screaming and crying in front of everyone. I did what any sensible mother would do - told them to get back into the car, parked in the parking lot, and held their hands while I walked them into school.
Last Friday, the best things happened- A certain second grader wanted to walk the mile home with her little friend. I told her if she's not big enough to walk into school by herself, she's not big enough to walk home by herself. She said "Oh, okay, and jumped in the car". It wasn't until Monday that I knew my reverse psychology had finally and actually worked! Monday morning I was informed that I was no longer needed as an escort. They would be walking into school by themselves.
Our scripture reading that morning was all about courage. On the way to the car my second grader said to her little sister. "Can we be brave and have enough courage to walk into school without Mom?" to which her little sister responded, "Yeah! (DUH!) We're not babies any more." or something like that.
Sure enough, a miracle of all miracles happened and my baby girls walked into school without me. At first I was excited and relieved, but quickly those feelings faded into sadness. Wait! My babies are growing up? I'm not needed any more? (WHAAAAH!)
WHAT WAS I THINKING?
Suddenly I wanted to walk them into school. I wanted to hold their hand and kiss them and hug them good-bye before turning them over to their teacher for the day. Dang, I hate it when my plan backfires, and I'm the one left in the dust.