I’ve been listening to Abba’s song “Slipping Through My Fingers” because the words have resonated with having a high school senior.  “Slipping through my fingers all the time, I try to capture every minute.  The feeling in it.  Slipping through my fingers all the time.”  Being a parent has been one of my greatest joys in life – right up there with the rewarding career I have had as an educator.  I had a recent experience at the eye doctor when the amazing staff at Dr. Vargas’ office began scheduling our family appointments for next year.  When it came to scheduling my UHS senior’s appointment for November 2022, I had the realization that I would now need to work around a schedule of someone who would be away at college.  The tears began to flow as I thought about my house without my daughter in it next year.  It took me back to the moments when she was an infant, falling asleep with her little body fitting between my neck and my hips, stretched out for a nap with her on the recliner, her tiny little fingers wrapped around my finger.   These moments come pouring in when I pause to think about her transition away from home.  I also think about the village that has helped raise my children both in our home and in our community, and I reflect with gratitude about small communities like those in Mendocino County who give our kids so much more.  

My son and I calculated that I have watched over sixty of Mendocino Ballet’s Nutcracker performances as my oldest daughter has danced with Mendocino Ballet since she was five.  During this last Nutcracker in December, I watched the tears streaming down the performers' faces on stage during the Apotheosis as the cast bids farewell.  This is always an emotional moment for the cast and the parents of kids transitioning out of the program as the cast waves goodbye on stage.  Mendocino Ballet Artistic Director Trudy McCreanor gives these kids much more than advanced ballet training.  She teaches the kids to work together and support one another, the joy of bringing smiles to the faces of an audience, and dedication to something that requires an intense time commitment.  These skills carry over into a young person’s life, and I have definitely witnessed the transfer of these skills into my daughter's daily life.  This program has also touched my life as a parent volunteer.  As the kids exited the stage this year, I felt that I was also leaving a piece of my heart on that stage.  Programs like Mendocino Ballet, and there are many in our community, give our kids something meaningful and healthy to engage in outside of school.

I’ve also been reflecting on everything the City of Ukiah gives our kids through their Parks and Recreation program.  During the pandemic, this program has been critical to providing children with meaningful in-person activities.  As I worked this year with many kids on their college applications, I was able to read their college essays, and those who have worked with children in the City of Ukiah Safari program wrote about the mutual benefit this program has brought to them.  Working for the City of Ukiah and mentoring the younger children in our community has brought many of our high school-aged kids out of the social isolation they experienced during Distance Learning and has given them leadership skills and necessary job skills.  The relationships our organizations developed over the years have led to the ability to design and implement programs such as these quickly, and I am grateful for what they provide our community.  

Finally, as Pomolita Principal Bryan Barrett expressed in a recent column, I am so grateful to the many school staff members who have positively impacted the lives of our high school seniors since preschool, both in and out of the classrooms.  All of these experiences have worked to develop our high school seniors into strong young people ready to face the new adventures and challenges life will bring them.  And although I agree with Taylor Swift in her song Never Grow Up when she sings, “Oh darlin’ don’t you ever grow up, don’t you ever grow up, just stay this little,” I know it is time for these incredible young people to spread their wings and improve our world with their amazing selves.  

This column is dedicated to all of my fellow parents/guardians of seniors in high school – we are so fortunate to have raised our children in a small community!  I thank each of you for what you have done for your children, for my children, and for what you’ve done to help all kids across our communities.