Senioritis

My son is a senior in high-school. I can see signs of senioritis--restlessness, lack of motivation, a readiness to be done with this stage and move on to the next.

I can sense similar feelings in myself. I’m ready to be finished with home schooling, to move on to the next phase of my life.  I’m eager to focus on my interests and passions that have been shelved for the last 2 decades.

My parents are also suffering from senioritis. As senior citizens, they too feel restless, unsure of what’s next, seeking purpose and meaning as they enter into a more limited season of life.

It’s like we’ve all outgrown our homes. The phases that have contained us for so long, now feel uncomfortable. The roles that have covered us for all these years, no longer fit. Dissatisfaction creeps in. We are ready to move. We just don’t know how, or where, or when.

Senioritis can be dangerous. Discontentment and lack of a clear vision can spiral into impulsive, destructive choices.  Decisions made during these transitions can have a huge impact on the rest of our life. We are eager to be free of the constrictions, but is it really freedom that awaits us in the next stage? We still have a lot to learn before we graduate from this phase, and the next chapter holds even more lessons.  The cure for senioritis is to focus on each day’s lesson. Ultimately, every period is about learning, until we graduate from this life to the next.