My kiddo will be a senior in high school as of tomorrow morning.

[MontanaMama]

I’m incredibly emotional about it. Where did 17 years go? He’s my only child. I gave birth to Owen at the age of 41 after two miscarriages. I cannot believe that this beautiful gifted child was given to me. He’s smart and incredibly funny. He’s the spitting image of my late father which is a gift that I can’t even describe. He loves to fish, play piano and guitar. He is a deep thinker and his BS detector is second to none. I think he will stay in Missoula and major in music at the University of Montana but he’s being courted by a crap ton of schools so I don’t really know what he will eventually decide to do. Owen is a beautiful soul and while it’s easy for me to say that I love him…It feels important to say that I just like him so much. I wish him the best this last year of high school.

He gave me permission to share this pic with you all. He knows what DU means to me and that you all are my friends.

[MerryHolidays]

1. All the very best to this fine young man and his Montana Mama! nt

[claudette]

2. Best of luck

to this handsome fella! Nice fish, too!

[dchill]

3. Congratulations! I remember when that happened to me...

...30 years ago!

[MontanaMama]

4. The brown trout

or being a senior in high school?

[dchill]

6. Never the trout!

[elleng]

5. Congrats! and great pic!

My 2 grandsons are entering 3d grade! (different states, different schools. ONE already started today, and is happy with his last year's teacher again; waiting to hear from the other kiddo.)

[MontanaMama]

7. Oh wow!

Owen had the same teacher for second and third grade. It was so good for him.

Best wishes for your dear grandsons.

[blm]

8. Awwwwww

How wonderful for you both to have this beautiful bond.

[MLAA]

9. What a cool kid! You have every reason to be proud. Wishing him the best of everything!

[alwaysinasnit]

10. Wishing your son all the best!

[Karadeniz]

11. At least two to be proud of, your son and YOURSELF... and hubby, if a factor!!!!

[littlemissmartypants]

12. All the best to you and Owen. Thanks for sharing this sweet story, MontanaMama. ❤️

[highplainsdem]

13. Congratulations on raising such a wonderful kid! Wishing Owen (and you) all the best for

the future, including a full scholarship at the perfect school for him.

[3catwoman3]

14. Over my 45 years as a pediatric nurse practitioner, I often used to say to...

...harried, tired parents of busy young children that, "There are days and hours that feel like they are never going to end, but on the whole, this is going to fly by."

That is a picture to treasure. I'm so glad he agreed to let you share it with us.

I understand this statement - "It feels important to say that I just like him so much. I wish him the best this last year of high school." I often said to myself that I would have enjoyed being with our sons even if they weren't ours

I was 41 with our second child. He will be 30 in October and is about to get married. Our older son is 32 and will soon celebrate his second wedding anniversary. Where did the time go?

[MontanaMama]

15. Oh my. Thank you

for your comment and your kind words. I do appreciate your thoughts on liking your child. I do realize every situation is different… parents and their kids don’t always match up in a way we would like…but I do know what a profound gift it is to like and respect your kiddo. As a side, my husband asks from time to time…”when is he going to fuck us over?” He’s just not. It’s not how he’s built and for that, I am grateful.

[3catwoman3]

16. I'm sure you will cherish this last year of high school.

I was always very glad that neither of our kids wanted to do a high school exchange/ year abroad program. I would not have wanted to give up a whole school year with either of them.

I remember being shocked at one of our neighbors who once said he couldn't wait for his kids to leave. I could not relate.

Our kids stayed in the area for college. We live in one of the collar counties of Chicago, and our older son spent 2 years at a school in Milwaukee, which is only about 80 miles away. He was on the soccer team there, and had to report about 6 weeks before the start of school, which I was not expecting and I was distraught that he would be leaving early. The day we dropped him off, I congratulated myself for only crying half the way home.

Right before that, I'd been doing a college physical on one of my long time patients. She was about to leave for a 6 year med school program in Lodz, Poland. I kept chanting to myself, "Milwaukee. Poland. Milwaukee. Poland. I can do this. I can do this."

Both boys ended up at Carthage college in Kenosha, WI, which is just over the IL-WI border, about an hour from home. They were on the soccer team together there for 2 years, and it was a real treat to be able to see them together on the field and to go to all the home games. It eased the empty nest feelings somewhat.

I hope your kiddo does stay nearby.

[Luciferous]

17. Small world- my brother-in-law also played soccer at Carthage and now he works there in admissions.

My in-laws wanted my daughter to go to school there but she chose a very specific scientific program and is currently up at Stevens Point. We just dropped her off last weekend and it's been tough but I keep reminding myself she's only a couple of hours away. I'm already making plans to visit her in October 😄

[3catwoman3]

18. Interesting tidbit about the men's soccer team.

Over the years, there have been 17 sets of brothers who have been on the soccer team together. Our sons finished there in 2012 and 2015.

Right now, the youngest of 3 brothers is a senior on the team. The older 2 were team mates of our sons.

When did your BIL play?

[Luciferous]

19. He was there a few years before your sons.

[MontanaMama]

20. I hope Owen stays here in Missoula

for college….and I believe he will at least to start out. He won’t turn 18 until a couple weeks before graduation and so he’s a little younger than some of his peers and I think he’s just not ready to leave the nest. I’m not ready either. We only live a mile and a half from campus and of the two major state universities, it’s the better of the two for artistic pursuits. I’ll support whatever decipher makes, however.

[3catwoman3]

21. My junior and senior years of college were the years of nursing...

...school. I transferred from being a biology major at a state college about 75 miles away, to a university in my hometown about 8 miles from our house. While I could have lived at home, my parents wanted me on campus so I could be fully part of the college experience. It was the right thing to do. If you are not in your parents' house, you have the freedom appropriate to being an emerging adult, as well as easy access to a quick dose of home on a weekend if you need it.

If you can afford the room and board, that could be a good option for Owen, despite living so close.

I do hope you'll let us know next year what he chooses.