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Graduation is upon us, and all across Texas, we will soon see packed football stadiums and auditoriums filled with proud families and ecstatic seniors who are about to take a life-changing walk across the stage. In Amarillo, that might look like the wind tussling the graduate caps in Dick Bivins Stadium as graduates hold onto them tight. Then you have Dad is sounding the air horn even though he was warned not to, as his son's name is called.

That's your baby walking across the stage. Whether they held a 4.0 GPA or barely passed, they are embarking on a rite of passage into adulthood. They are scared of the future, but excited for what it holds.

You are happy for them, but deep inside yourself, you are slowly dying because it's time for Mama Bear to let her cub roam.

Whether your child is graduating in Amarillo, Dallas, Lubbock, Midland/Odessa, or a small Texas town, the schedule may look different, but the mom feelings are the same.

The Pride vs. Panic of Graduation Day

You are exiting, the we still have time phase. This year flew by so fast that those final moments slipped away before you could hold onto them tightly. Slowly, the pride vs. panic starts to set in. You are so very proud of all their accomplishments, but you slowly start to panic, wondering if they are really ready to leave home.

The Grief You Did Not See Coming

Now here's where the grief really begins to settle in. It's not the enormous grief of loss, but it's an ache that starts settling into your heart; it's soft and persistent. You know there is no stopping this; it will happen. You aren't grieving them. You're grieving something deeper.

What You Are Really Losing When They Graduate

• The child who always needed Mom and had to hold her hand to feel safe
• The routines you have known for the last 18 years ending
• The different noise in the house when your child is around
• The era of your baby becoming an adult and knowing you have to let go

That lump in your throat will hit you when you least expect it. In the grocery store when you pass their favorite cereal, while folding their laundry, or when a song on the radio sets you off, and you will want to burst into tears.

You are losing the version of motherhood you have held onto for so long. Your child is transitioning into adulthood, and you're transitioning into mothering an adult.

You're still their mom, and they will still need you, but it will be different.

How to Find Yourself Again After the Cap and Gown

Here's where you get to start finding yourself again. You'll have different routines. You'll also notice a change in your house, but eventually, you'll fall into your new version of mom, and your baby will start experiencing firsts as an adult.

It's an adjustment for you both, but your momma heart will ache, and you will always worry whether they are in the house with you or hundreds of miles away, going to college and living life.

What to Do Right Now, Mom of a Graduate

• Say the things you haven't said yet
• Be present for the smallest moments
• Feel the grief, otherwise you'll break
• Don't try to control everything, just enjoy the moments

Just remember, they will always need you, Momma. So don't start second-guessing yourself; you prepared them enough. They are ready for the world, and you are ready to let them move on.

From one mom to another, you will survive this. There will be tears, and it will be tough.

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