Today is the last day of the school year for my son.  He usually drives to school, but today we went out for breakfast and I dropped him off.  I’ll pick him up just after noon, when his last final is over.  It’s fun to be at school when the kids come streaming out on the last day of the year.  Pure joy.

It will also mark the start of his countdown to the end of high school.  He is finishing his Junior year, so he has just twelve months left of this phase of his life.  Just like I am marking down my last days to the end of my career and early retirement, he will now be counting down the “last time” he does this & that over the next year.

I find the stages and rhythm of life fascinating.  There is a Thoreau quote that says “‘Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the each”.  I find that to be a good challenge for all of us in all of life’s joy & struggles – to fully drink in the experience before the season changes.

In the case of myself, my wife & our son, that is how we will approach our life milestone count downs.  As an opportunity to soak it in and look forward to the next stage.

Image Credit: Pixabay