The end of an era

Today was the last day I will ever drop a child off in Waumba Land.  After seven straight years of veering to the left after we walk in the door of church, we will now just go straight.  No more preschool parking.
I could shed a tear or two.  The end of a chapter always brings a little sadness to it. And for some reason, this last Sunday in Waumba Land at church has me a little more sentimental than I expected. For two and half years (before we had kids), I worked in those halls.  For almost three years, walking by those halls just twisted the knife that was infertility.  And then came the day that I could enter those halls as a parent to drop my sweet little boy off to the loving arms of Shirley and Jeanne-ladies that had been keeping the babies at church for almost 3 decades.
And now, I have no longer have a reason to go in there.
Feels a little strange.  But I'm starting to realize that this parenting thing is all about closing chapters and starting new ones. Time keeps flying by, whether I'm ready or not. And I'm really striving to be ready.  I want to enjoy each phase and eagerly anticipate the new one.  Look back with no regrets. Have special memories from each stop along the way, but never long to go backwards.  Because I can't.
Thank you Waumba Land, for watching my babies so I could enjoy church. Thank you for instilling in them the knowledge that God loves them, God made them, and Jesus wants to be their friend forever.  They will always think that church was a fun place to go when they were little, instead of place they were dragged each week. It's been fun!  UpStreet here we come!