Senior Year. How are we already here?!

Posted on Sep 15, 2025 | 0 comments

To my son

Dear Finn,

Senior Year has officially begun… and I’m not sure whether to cry, cheer, or wrap you in bubble wrap and keep you home forever.

One minute I’m packing little snacks for Kindergarten, and now we’re talking about college applications, work schedules, and parking passes.

Wasn’t it just yesterday that you were three years old at a family karaoke night? The room was packed – your aunts, uncles, brothers & sister, grandparents, family friends – laughing and singing. Someone put the microphone down for maybe 30 seconds, and you saw your moment.

Without hesitation, you marched right up, picked up that mic like it belonged to you, climbed onto the stage, and started talking like you owned the place. No music. No plan. Just raw toddler confidence. 😂

You told the entire room – with such excitement – that the pool needed to stay open later – and, let’s be real, your arguments were completely convincing! Everyone cheered like you’d just won a Grammy. I looked at Dad and we knew we had a future lawyer/politician on our hands!

And then I blinked.

Now, here you are, stepping up to even bigger stages – speaking at school board meetings, reporting at the Courthouse, working to inspire teens to vote, supporting local leaders, brewing coffee at Starbucks (with your classic sarcasm), and guesting on a podcast where you dropped truth after truth that made me cry proud tears.

Listening to your episode and hearing you say that passion is your greatest strength – I just sat there thinking, He really was listening all these years. And you weren’t just listening – you were absorbing, thinking, and now turning it into action.

That’s you in a nutshell: not just talking about change, but being it.

From that little boy with a microphone asking for the pool to be open later, to the young man with purpose, passion, and a voice that actually moves people – you amaze me every single day.

And here we are to senior year.

Life hasn’t been easy lately. We’ve both felt it. But you’ve carried yourself with such quiet strength, deep care, and unshakable commitment to doing what matters. I see it. I feel it. And I’m so proud of it.

Just a few things before you fully dive into this wild, beautiful, senior year ride:

☕ Starbucks is not a food group. Please eat something green occasionally.
🧠 Don’t let your to-do list win. You’re allowed to rest.
🗳️ Keep using your voice. You’re changing the game.
📸 Take more pictures than you think you need.
📅 Start your homework before 10 p.m. (Shocking, I know.)
🧺 Laundry. It still won’t do itself. Trust me.
😂 Keep laughing – even when you’re overwhelmed. Especially then.
💙 And above all: Stay passionate. That’s your superpower.

No matter where life takes you next, please remember:
I’m here. Always.
For the wins. For the hard days. For the middle-of-the-night “can we talk?” texts. For when you learn a hard lesson and need some encouragement. For when you need a good, hot meal. For all of it.

You were born to lead, to inspire, to speak truth – and you’ve been doing it since you were 3 with that karaoke mic in hand.

Love you more than every latte you’ve ever made,

Love, Mama

ttmaba