I know baby pictures are the ones that get all the likes on Facebook, but in my momma heart, senior photos are just as sweet. They represent the finale. The finish. Not of parenting, but of the season in which I have at least a bit of parental control. They are a celebration of accomplishments and of impending freedom. Looking through these amazing pictures of my son as a man wipes me out. I am so proud of him. I am so grateful to be his mom. I am so thankful for the man of character, determination, integrity, kindness, confidence, and intelligence he has become. He is solid, and I am totally confident of his readiness to fly the coop. That is an incredible gift.
So, I invite you to enjoy this finale with me.
It has been a glorious ride.
Jamison has saved every pair of shoes he has trained in since the start of his high school running career. Each pair of shoes in this pile represents 300 miles of sweat, pain, laughter, and growth. This pile represents his most treasured high school memories. He can tell you stories about events that occurred while running in each and every pair of these shoes. This may be my favorite of his senior pictures because it most clearly represents him, and I could not love him more.
If you look closely at these two photos they represent his passage from high school into college. He is wearing his high school uniform while his college colors are slung over his shoulder. I wanted a photo of him walking away from high school and toward his future. When you ask my son what he is doing next year he says, "I am running cross country and track and the University of Mary. And I will major in exercise science and then go to PT school." It is always the running that comes first. While he is an awesome student, he will graduate with a 3.7 GPA, his greatest sense of pride and accomplishment comes from running. I am thankful he has the opportunity to follow both his athletic and educational dreams.
20 pairs of shoes X 300 miles per pair = 6000 miles run in training to date
This does not include racing.
Success comes through hard work.
He is proof.
Just for the record, I love his tattoo.
Last week Joshua said to me, "Mom. I really do not think Jay is ready to go to college. I think we better keep him home at least one more year." I laughed. And I get it. I will miss Jamison like crazy, too.
