Ready Or Not, Here We Go

I'm always up for a Harry Potter movie. It doesn't matter how many times I've seen it, I will still watch it and get wrapped in the story. Of course I will always comment on how the books are far superior, but the magical world J.K. Rowling created sucks me in every single time. 

Last night, my youngest (not so young at 17) asked me to watch Prisoner of Azkaban with him. Again, it's Harry Potter, so of course, but I also knew that this request was about more than the movie. The teen has been worked into nervous knots over starting his final year in high school. A sensitive and far more emotional child than my oldest, the prospect of life after high school has him apprehensive. I remember my own last first day, and while I don't recall being as reluctant to finish out that part of my life journey, I understand the magnitude of what he's feeling.

It's been difficult to accept that my baby has reached this age already. It felt like just yesterday that he started kindergarten, after all. There won't be waterfalls of tears and little arms clinging to me, making it hard to leave. Instead, there will be an empathetic knot in my stomach as I, too, work through the shock and mixed emotions of it all. I'm excited, but there is a big part of me that wishes I could stop time. 

This year is going to present us both with a few challenges, revelations and hopefully, celebrations. Time to strap in, the road could get pretty bumpy between now and this time next year. For now, I have the task of finding a photographer for his senior pictures to occupy my reminiscent, mother's mind.