hello, farewell

 It's the last day of high school for Max! 

I remember his first day of kindergarten, how he was nervous but so brave, and how Liam talked to him about what to expect and made him feel excited and happy to be there. I have loved all of Max's school years, even the time he snatched $40 from my desk and used it to buy novelty erasers and books for all his friends at the book fair. Even when he started a cuss club with those same friends, which consisted of them writing down every naughty word they knew -- only then one of them dropped the paper with the list, and when the teacher picked it up, all the friends pointed to Max as the ringleader. All of his adventures have delighted me ... even the ones that frustrated me at the same time.

When they were very little, we used to say that Liam was more interested in how things work, and Max was more interested in how people work. I still think that's true. I feel a little sad that as the second child, Max is always in a place of comparison -- when there's only one child, there's nothing to compare with, but once you have more, you can't help but constantly observe their similarities and differences. But Max is his own person. He is happy to walk beside his brothers, but he is just as comfortable standing tall and proud on his own. He is smart and funny and thoughtful and so charming. He's going to be a wonderful teacher, in and out of the classroom. He's going to make -- HE ALREADY HAS MADE -- such a difference in the lives of the people who know him. Sometimes I feel like I could just crack in two from the force of my pride in him. 

And on this last day of his senior year, I'm proud of us too. It is hard work to bring a human into this world, and there's never any guarantee that your young human will turn out well, despite your best intentions. I know we're all just out here making the best choices we can as parents, and sometimes that has great results, and other times maybe not so much. I feel so fucking fortunate to have raised this young man. So utterly lucky to be here to watch him take these steps toward adulthood and know that we've helped him get there. I cannot wait to see what comes next.