Graduation is around the corner. As the parent of a high school senior, I’m not ready for this next stage of life—or, I should say, I find myself resisting it. 

My phone just updated to the latest iOS about a week ago, and thanks to one of the new features, every morning I wake up to a photo montage chosen from my camera roll and set to music. The other day it was baby/kid pictures, and it brought me to tears. Now I look forward to my morning montage and the emotions it elicits. 

Looking back is what I crave at the moment. Even the pictures my son took of dirt, or his shaky video—it makes me motion sick—from when I gave him my phone to entertain himself while we were watching my daughter’s horseback-riding lesson, or the seemingly hundreds of pictures my daughter took of her feet when she was very little and riding in the car. I don’t know why I didn’t delete them a long time ago, but I’m glad I didn’t. These photos and videos capture my children’s personalities, and when I watch them, I remember what it was like when they were silly and playful and unabashedly themselves. 

They also remind me that the kids and I had a lot of good times together. Sometimes—like now, as my son prepares to leave for college—I wonder if I did a good job as a mom, and it is helpful to have that visual evidence. The pictures and videos remind me of how precious our moments together are, and lately I’ve been looking for ways to maximize our time together . . . like inviting myself to serve prom dinner at the home of the parent hosting. Hopefully my son appreciates it in the long run. 

Wishing you a happy Father’s Day and savoring time with loved ones this June, 

Shannon