It is 2016...a year I've been dreading, and also looking towards with unbridled excitement, has finally arrived. And my question remains the same...how did it get here so fast?
In 1997 I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, and life as a mother began. It's been a whirlwind parade of playdates, sleepovers, family vacations, homework, soccer practice and games, volleyball practice and games, JROTC, science projects, English papers, grabbing a combo meal from one of the many fast food restaurants on the way to or from practice/games, and I wouldn't trade a single second of it. Now 2016 is here, the year she graduates...the year she flies the nest.
Our lives definitely got the busiest in that whirlwind parade once Red Bank School became part of our daily lives and our mottos of "Red Bank You Know!", "Let's Go Red Bank!" and "Let's Go Lions!" became a daily part of our vocabulary. Initially, we were a little anxious about putting our daughter in public high school because, let's be real here, Hamilton County Public School system has been mired down for decades in all types of problems. Our fears were put to rest thanks to Red Bank High School. Our daughter gets a lot of the credit for the bright future ahead of her...but so do the teachers, coaches, faculty and staff of Red Bank High School.
"It takes a village to raise a child." This statement is so true...as parents, we love our kiddos to the moon and back. But there are things we can't teach our kids..that's where our extended family, our friends, and teachers and coaches come in. At Red Bank High School my daughter had a constant support system of wonderful people who helped her become the strong, successful young woman she is today. She can certainly take credit for how she turned out. Her dad and I get our share of credit too...but, so do her teachers and coaches. They pushed her when she wouldn't listen to us. Gave her a shoulder when she needed it. Taught her what we couldn't. They helped mold her future, and shape the person she's become. And who has she become? A soon to be high school graduate on her way to college and college volleyball.
We made lifelong friends at Red Bank High School, met many interesting people there, and made some of the best memories of our lives there. Was it all sunshine and rainbows? Of course not, it's high school...one of the most challenging times in not only a child's life, but in their parents' lives as well. But, we will definitely miss our Lions...but you may still catch us at a game or two.
We'll miss you Red Bank High School. It's been a total blast! Thank you for everything. GO LIONS!
Mariah Smith