Each year the Senior class at my Daughter’s high school plan activities to celebrate their final year together. I had the pleasure of attending her Senior Sunrise breakfast last month. I posted a few pictures on Facebook and was surprised to find there were so many people that had never heard of this tradition.

5:00 am before the students arrived

At senior sun rise, students come to school at 530am in pajamas. They are served breakfast, sign up for reunion information, class packages, and other school activities. Each student received a balloon where they wrote their goals and hopes for the year, and they also wrote a letter to themselves that is kept safe and given back to them at senior sunset at the end of the year.

As a PTA board member, I was slated to volunteer at the event. Call time was 4 am. You know it’s early when Starbucks isn’t even open! Luckily there were several student and parent volunteers there to get the ball rolling. We began hanging posters, getting toasters ready for waffles, setting up food stations, and blowing up balloons in the dark. The food and many of the supplies were donated by parents and local businesses as the plan was to feed over 500 students!

I was too busy to pay attention to all of the signs saying “268 days till graduation” and “This is the beginning of the end.” I’m trying not to be a total basket case this year ( that’s what I told my daughter), So I put those thoughts to the back of my mind and sat at my assigned station for the morning. I was in charge of passing out social media information for the ten-year reunion. When I brought up the reunion, the kids looked at me like I was crazy. Ten years from now? They can barely remember how they got up at 5 am that morning. We also had to pass out signup sheets for those interested in joining Student Council. To my amazement, many of the students had no idea what student council was!

The looks on some of their faces said it all. Some were excited to begin this next chapter in their lives, some were still half asleep and wanted coffee, and some looked scared to death. Senior year is a time when emotions are running high not only for the kids but parents too. These kids are now realizing the year is going to fly by in a flash and how much work they have ahead of them.

Back in the 90’s I can’t remember being this stressed out my senior year. We looked forward to all the FUN events we were going to have;  football games, homecoming, grad nite, prom, and graduation. I knew I wanted to go to college, but I was not University bound, so I didn’t have the added pressures. Kids these days have so much pressure on them to perform that it takes away from the excitement of what lies ahead.

Luckily there are eight additional events planned for the year. As many are stressing over finals, college applications, SAT/ACT scores, and future career goals, my hope is that they still find the time to enjoy their senior experience.

As the sun began to rise it was time to release the balloons. As they started the countdown, it occurred to me that this IS the beginning of the end and this time next year my baby will be a college freshman. I tried my hardest to hold back my tears, but as I saw them release the balloons off into the sky, I realized it’s time for me to start letting go. I looked over at my Daughter and saw her laughing, smiling, and enjoying what was to come with her friends. I have to remember that she is just as uncertain of this year as I am. We’ll make it through together, and she knows that I will be there to help guide and support her until the day she moves that tassel to the left on Graduation day.