The short trip from baby corner to family wall

For many years, I would sit on the little sofa in our “library” and I would sip coffee and look at these photos. (Except, of course, that at the time, they were hanging on the wall.)

I lovingly called it, “baby corner.” They are my babies and they were hanging in the corner, thus the name. It is Rachel and Johnny III’s high school senior photos. Really good photos of my beautiful children. My kids told me for years that I could take them down, since they don’t look like that anymore. But I liked looking at baby corner. It reminded me of days past when they lived at home instead of across town or in a different town hours away.

Then, with the house flood and remodel last year, down came the framed photos and up went new paint. And no more baby corner.

But when the remodel was complete, last fall we took new family photos and we created this:

The family wall. The funny thing is, this wall faces the former baby corner in the same room. Just a short trip away from their high school years, my kids are young adults. All grown up. How did that happen? My son graduated two more times since baby corner and has now launched his own counseling career. My daughter has her own daughter now. And soon to have one more. And, of course, we’ve added a new son since baby corner days. And the family photo wall will continue to grow.

It’s graduation season. I see on social media all the photos of caps and gowns and celebrations and plans for the future. We’ve received graduation announcements. My Uncle Vic beautifully framed my kids announcements and photos and they were hanging in our hallway for many years, until the aforementioned remodeling and painting. 

To all my friends who have graduating seniors that you recently photographed and celebrated, please be aware… it’s a short trip from baby corner to family wall. It happens so very quickly and soon your family will grow and you will be packing away old photos and making room on your wall for son-in-laws, and granddaughters.

So seize the moments.

Take a lot of photos and cry and remember when you dropped them off at kindergarten for the first day. Soon you will be dropping them off for their college freshman year. It’s ok. You can cry a little. And take a few moments to celebrate yourself as a parent. It was you who drove them to school all those years. It was you who made sure their Monday folders were complete and it was you who sat in parking lots waiting for the school bell to ring or waiting for soccer practice to be over for another day. It’s ok. Celebrate the moments.

As a soon to be second-time grandma, I feel like I’ve earned the right to tell you, enjoy your children at every phase of life. Don’t wish away any phase of life, even if it’s the challenging toddler years or teenage years. You don’t get those years back. Savor them. Treasure them in your heart. And remember…

It’s a short trip from baby corner to family wall.