Dear Sonshine

Dear Sonshine Academy, 

Last week our 5 year old daughter graduated from you. Today is her last day to be a student with you. She is no longer a Pre-K'er.

(Sidenote: Whoa.)

Yes, our oldest daughter is growing up and let me tell you, we're not sad about this at all. Nope. Not at all. Not in the least. And if you believe this, I also have some ocean front property in Arizona you might be interested in.

Norah was thrilled about this picture too. Promise. 

It feels like the time she spent with you guys zoomed by at light speed. I mean just absolutely flew. The craziest part of it all: Maddie was only a student there one full school year, even though it feels like it was so very much longer. But man, the growing up that we all did during that school year there was unreal. The tender care you guys gave to not just Maddie but both our daughters, and the encouragement and support all the time is something we will never forget.

We came to you guys last August a little worried, a little apprehensive, a little tentative considering some of the issues we had been through with the last school Maddie attended. But all those fears quickly subsided and the amount of growth and progress she's shown in the year we spent with you frankly brings tears to our eyes. 

We know there were plenty of times along the way where things maybe seemed like a bit much for her to handle and Maddie decided she'd rather sit this one out. Animals she didn't want to pet or see. Big noisy firetrucks. And yeah, maybe she was the only one who didn't want to wear her mortarboard during graduation last week. But you guys never forced her to do something she didn't want and loved on her anyway. For the awesome little kid that she is. And we can't tell you how much that means to us.

So thanks to you, Sonshine Academy. Thank you, Mrs. Nan. For reasons we don't understand and probably never will, but the compassion you've shown Maddie has been a game changer. Thank you Sarah and Carolyn, for all your hard work this school year and the gospel-centered love you've shown to our big kid.

Thank you for causing two parents with so many anxieties about a 5-year old like ours to be able to breathe a little bit, if only for five hours a day.

Please know you will always have a special place with us. Always.