As I dropped my oldest off this morning at his first day of high school, I didn’t cry. Yes, I reminisced, and I mentally ran through images of prior firsts. Pre-K was the hardest after having him by my side daily for four years. Kindergarten was also difficult knowing he was starting big-boy school. Third grade meant moving to the other side of campus and having more responsibilities. And then came seventh grade when he started middle school.

            I start every year with questions and a certain level of anxiety, but today, as I watched him walk into Madison County High School, I understood a deeper truth—this is why we do this. We don’t parent our kids to leave them in eternal infancy. There’s not a magic switch that keeps them little until we’re ready to let go. Parents are placed in their children’s lives to teach them how to be successful in life.

            We are to model the lives we ultimately want our children to live. They will emulate our ways. They will become what we teach and allow. They will. And we cannot tell them not to.

            High school is the next piece for my child. It’s where he will decide the next steps in life. He will make new friends, learn new subjects, and take ownership of his education. But he will also begin developing a deeper set of values that will carry him through life. The kind of girl he wants to date and marry. The level of education he desires to attain. And the type of person he chooses to be around and become.

            Helping our children become successful adults is why we do this. God entrusted them into our care as infants and we are to continue teaching, encouraging, loving, and supporting them no matter what may come. And it doesn’t stop once they move out. They may not realize it, but they will need their parents no matter their age. How do I know? Because I still need mine.

            Let’s give this parenting gig everything we have. Our kids matter. They are the future. It’s why we do this.