Hello to High School

Friday morning it was time for Melissa and me, just the two of us. We were on our way to take a tour of her new high school program. I cannot believe she is entering the 9th grade, but she is so excited to make the change. As we arrived, we saw her friend Maryn waiting for her on the steps with the lead teacher of the program, and Melissa rushed to greet her with a big hug and enthusiasm. Each person that she was introduced to as the tour commenced was greeted by Melissa with a warm, eye-contact filled hello, along with her announcement that she was "glad to meet ya!" She was miss chatty, asking great questions like "Is there a library?" (Yes, indeed) or "Is there an art class?" (of course.)
As I followed her at a respectable teen-to-parent distance I marveled at the wonder of her beautiful butterfly wings that are being spread to fly, this child who has always loved the quiet safety of her cocoon. Although she was wearing her iPod headphones with her favorite music to protect her from unwanted outside noise, she was fully engaged and present in the conversation and in the purpose of the tour. We went to a small auditorium where her future classmates had gathered for a group assembly. She sat with Maryn in the middle of the rows, I positioned myself a few rows back and to the side. She had this.
As the class activities progressed, she followed along and tried to participate, tracking along with new faces and new voices. Hey, there were going to be two Melissas, so she helpfully suggested that the other Melissa use a nickname, and was flexible when that girl had a different idea for a nickname than she would have picked.
I was nearby, just there in case she needed me. Once or twice she looked for and found me, giving me a cheery "thumbs up" sign and raised eyebrows with a smile. I reflected her smile back to her. The progress she has made since those tough and rough early years is nothing short of gold-medal worthy.
The tour lasted about an hour and a half, afterwards we went to have pancakes at a restaurant where she ordered her own food from the waitress, and we had some Mom and daughter chit chat about the new school.
"It's a lot bigger that your brother & sister's old school." I pointed out.
"Yeah, that old 'Home of the Cougars' was smaller" she remembered.
"Are you scared of a new big school?" I asked, but she just shook her head no with a mouthful of pancakes and a self assured air.
Well, then. I think. I won't be scared either, just hopeful. This is no 'baby show', you know. Melissa is growing up, and I couldn't be more proud of her.