The tradition started with our oldest—a memory book/sendoff book given to him the night before his first day of school. I filled his book with pictures from his beginning up to that very day and words to go with them to encourage him. It’s more of a letter than a scrapbook as I carefully chose the words I felt like he most needed to hear as he ventured out into the real world.
He loved it.
And, so when it was time for Baby #2 to go to kindergarten and then Baby #3, they got sendoff books too. Years later, every once in a while, I see them pull their books gently down from the shelf and look through them again. In fact, on the night before middle school, our oldest requested that we read it to him again just like we did before he stepped up into that big yellow bus for the first day of kindergarten.
Today, I’m sorting through pictures. Thousands of pictures. I can’t believe how many pictures we have of this sweet little one, my last precious child to leave the nest. My task today is to put together her book. And, I’m overwhelmed. Change, her growth, my growth, the season we are now entering. Overwhelmed by the task of weaving together a glimpse of her story into a little hardback book.
It just seems easier to sit with my coffee and write words here than write words for her book.
{sigh}
Off to do the harder thing.