Godspeed, little man.

It's a big day! Grady set out for his first day of kindergarten today. We didn't have any tears (from him or I), and he even tried to help make a little boy at his table feel better about his mama leaving. My sweet guy. I keep looking at the schedule his teacher gave me to see what he might be up to right now. It's 9:10 am so it looks like he's in the middle of his reading block. Yeah. I'm THAT mom.
My friend shared a poem with me yesterday. I am going to repost it with some of the pics of Grady's first day. I am warning you up front. If you are pregnant, nursing, or recently sent a child to their first day of school, you may want to keep a box of tissues handy for this one. Remember how I said there were no tears. Well, that was before I went back and read this again.

He started school this very morning
And he seemed so very small
As I walked there beside him
In the Kindergarten hall

And as he took his place beside
the others in the class
I realized how all too soon
Those first few years can pass

Remembering I saw him as
he first learned how to walk
The words that we alone made out
When he began to talk



This little boy so much absorbed
In learning how to write
It seems as though he must have grown
To Boyhood overnight



My eyes were blurred but hastily
I brushed the tears away
Lest by some word or sign of mine
I mar his first big day

Oh how I longed to stay with him
And keep him by the hand
To lead him through the places
That he couldn't understand



And something closely kin to fear
Was mingled with my pride
I knew he would no longer be
A baby by my side

But he must have his chance to live
To work his problems out
The privilege to grow and learn
What life is all about



And I must share my little boy
With friends and work and play
he's not a baby anymore---
he's in Kindergarten today