For my first Patch post, I’d like to share a favorite article I wrote four years ago. In it I share what has become our family's last-day-of-school tradition. Maybe your family would like to try it?

Tonight we’re celebrating. It’s the last day of school. This will not be a “last-day-of-prison-camp” kind of party. No, no. It’s a “celebrate how you’ve grown” kind of party.

It will be super simple: I’m picking up everyone’s favorite carry-out food and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. Done.

For a centerpiece, I’m asking my sons to gather objects that symbolize the good stuff of the school year – awards, projects, and photos of friends and teachers.

Why did this idea strike me today? Because I’m realizing my sons’ childhoods are going too quickly for me. Seasoned parents told me this would happen, but I didn’t believe them.

So, rather than brushing aside the school year and diving into summer, tonight we’re going to pause and celebrate the good stuff of life – where we’ve been, with whom we’ve traveled, and what we’ve learned.

Celebrating the moment is a lesson I need to learn again and again. Yes, their childhood is passing too quickly for me. By savoring tonight, I hope to make sure it doesn’t pass too quickly for them.