I am very competitive and love sports, so as soon as my kids could, we signed them up for soccer. My daughter, Sydney, did not take to it. She was more artistic than athletic.
Instead, I cheered from the sidelines as she did violin recitals and talent shows. Then in middle school, she picked up debating. She was a fantastic debater, which did not come as a surprise to us. I watched with pride as she dismantled opponents and won battle after battle.
I was sad when she decided she no longer wanted to debate once she went to high school. She quickly picked up modeling, and though it was not a world I was familiar with, I still beamed from the audience, watching my kid being amazing on the stage.
My son, Sebastian, however, immediately took to soccer. He also tried baseball and basketball. Soon he was a 2-sport athlete playing soccer and baseball in middle and high schools. I loved being on the sidelines yelling and cheering for him to make a goal, a hit, an out, whatever.
My daughter transferred to college last year, and though she still models, we are much less involved in the modeling scene than when she modeled for her high school. My son is graduating from high school and has declared he does not want to play baseball in college.
My life has revolved around these kids and their activities for so long. Sometimes we had to figure out how to be in 2 places at once. I remember a day last year when I had an event. Once it was done, I hustled to baseball to catch the end of Sebastian’s game. Then I rushed to a modeling competition where the kids’ team Sydney coached competed. It was 10 pm, and I was exhausted but beaming as they announced her team as the winner.
Another time last summer, Sebastian’s baseball team had a playoff doubleheader on the same day Sydney competed in a modeling competition. We had decided that one of us would leave the baseball game in time for modeling. Luckily the game wrapped up in time for us to both run home to shower (it was the hottest day of the year) and make it in time to witness Sydney shining from the stage.
The realization that after all this time, this phase of parenting is ending, or at minimum transitioning, has left me feeling a bit unmoored. Who am I not grumbling about freezing or burning up on the sidelines (there appears to be no in-between), if I’m not fussing because someone forgot to tell me which color uniform they needed? Now we are scrambling at the last minute if I’m not struggling hard to stay awake because the modeling show started late, and it’s way past my bedtime.
Who am I if I am not planning my days around their activities? Who am I if I’m not a sports mom?
I am a lady who is grateful that she got to witness these special humans excelling at the things they love. A lady who smiles at the mere mention of their names, all the things they have accomplished, and their bright futures. A lady who willingly admits to anyone who will listen that these two people are her most significant sources of joy and pride. Who I am is their MOM! And luckily, that fact is eternal and unchanging.
But if you need an auntie to cheer on your babies, CALL me!
This article was initially published on staceyannsays.com
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Stacey Baugh is a college professor living and working in the DC area. An immigrant originally from Jamaica, she is a mom of 2 young adults and is preparing for the empty nest phase as her “baby” leaves for college in the Fall.
