Anyone else a mess with impending graduation? EDITED photo

Nope. My baby (my youngest) is graduating in a couple of weeks. I told him the other day that I was going to be a crazy woman for a while and he just had to deal. 

He is off to college in the fall, and of course I am excited for him and all that he is going to experience, but Lord Almighty I am already having empty nest issues. I even went in to tuck him bed the other night. He just laughed and kissed me good night. 

I was going to post the same thing - mine is graduating from Jr. Kindergarten and we just got the invite and I'm tearing up. I can't imagine high school!

Not yet.  Ask me in a month.  I'm just starting to grasp this.  EEK!

My oldest nephew is graduating next weekend and we're heading home to Ohio for it. He's not my kid, but I keep thinking about when he was little and so precious and cute, and now what a great young man he's become and how proud I am. I know there will be tears next weekend! And my sister is definitely having an emotional time of it, too. He'll be living at home and commuting to college, so that should make the changes easier for her.

My youngest is "graduating" from middle school to high school. I got teary eyed last year with ds1. I'm going to be just as bad this year. Good thing it's outside and I can hide behind sunglasses.

I'm going to be a mess in both June 2019 and 2020.

My oldest grandson is graduating high school at the end of the month and just the thought of it brings tears to my eyes. It seems like I just finished weeping when his mom graduated. His younger brother graduates Jr high the day before, needless to say their mom is a basket case, with her oldest and youngest reaching milestones at the same time. I'm so proud of them both.

DD graduated from college last weekend, and it was so busy and happy. I cried, but it was such a joyous occasion. So very very proud of her. Next up is DS's high school graduation in two weeks. I'm already starting to tear up. I won't have any kids at home next school year. It seems so weird after 21 years.

DD graduated HS last year. I thought graduation I would be a mess. Not so much. It's kind of long and boring and was hot so I never got really weepy.

Now other things sent me over the edge... silly things and unexpected things.

You'll get through it. It's so hard but does get easier as you watch them sprout wings and grow.

I'm a mess!!! Just reading these posts makes me teary eyed. My 6yoDS is finishing Kindergarten and we have his program coming up. Next is 17yoDD baccalaureate. Then the next day is 14yoDD 8th grade program for finishing middle school and going to high school and we have 17yoDD class night that night. And the next night is HS graduation. I cry at EVERYTHING! I'm so proud of my kids and so glad for the opportunities that are coming their way. DD is going away to college in the fall, she is excited and I am excited for her, I'm just emotional! All these lasts all at once are tough!

Gah! Just reading your post brings tears to my eyes and I still have 2 more years with mine. She's so beautiful in that photo you posted. 

That'll be me in two years. DD has already said she knows I'll be a mess. "After all, Mom, you cry at TV commercials!" Oy.

Yes. My daughter and another girl are getting a scholarship from our Girl Scout council. I called the school to let them know as they have an awards night next week. The gal asked if I would come present the scholarship (I am the troop leader). At first I was yes, that would be so cool. But when I thought about it I realized I would totally start crying. I am so proud of the girls and even typing this makes me tear up. I wrote up a nice blurb and sent it to the school and asked if they could have someone present it. When I told the gal why she totally got it.
To be fair I am a crier. I cry at sappy commercials. But yes this end of the year stuff is hard.

My oldest is graduating this year. I haven't cried yet, but I'm sure I'll be a little weepy. We had the Summa Ceremony last, STEM Senior night last week, And Senior Awards night next week. Mostly I'm just so proud of everything he accomplished and how well he integrated and made friends. He'll be going to a local school, so I'll still see him a lot, I hope.

My youngest is leaving elementary school this year, and while I think middle school is the cruelest thing you can do to 12 year olds, I couldn't be happier having the elementary years behind us.

My heart truly goes out to all of you who are hurting right now as your kids get ready to leave home for college, and anticipating it to be even worse later, as the date nears. <3 I think this is often truly compounded by our hormonal states at this time of life, perimenopause butting up against emotional transitions. Ugh.

I want to urge you to do all you can to focus on the love you share, the wonderful people your kids are, and to remember that separation is important and necessary for most of our kids to fully embrace their adult selves. It is also a healthy time to refocus some of our own energies from mom to self, discovering new interests or finding more time for existing ones. Then, when we are reconnected with our growing adult kids, we have more interesting things to talk about.

I'm quite a bit past this stage... our kids are in their late 20s now.

I did not suffer empty nest syndrome. Was a very involved SAHM all of their lives, very active in their schools, etc. etc. LOVED being a full-time parent. I was also very excited for them to be going off to colleges that they were excited about. both were very far from home and both kids thrived. We asked them to call us once a week, on Sunday nights, at first. I sat on my hands and tried hard NOT to call or text them, to wait for them to contact me/us. Independence is important, going off to do our learning and growing up, making mistakes and learning from them and how to handle them on our own is important. Please do all you can NOT to be helicopter parents, but to give your kids space to blossom out in the world. They know you love them and hopefully know they have a safe place to fall if times get tough. Hopefully they also know you trust them to make decisions and to give them room to do what they are meant to be doing as they go off to college, to learn to fend for themselves in the larger world. Our ultimate goal as parents is to succeed in parenting our kids into independent adulthood.

Our daughter now lives in the UK (we are in Calif) and our son lives and works on ice-covered mountains in USA and Canada. Both are extremely happy and are thriving, and we are very proud of them. Time spent together is precious, as are our phone convos or videochats once or twice a month.

I know all families are different, all individuals are different. I'm sharing here in the hope that it may help some of you in some way.

(((HUGS)))