It is May, which means a lot of different things are going on. But for most people, it means school is almost over for another year.

I say most people because I think that between students ranging from kindergarten to college, teachers and parents, most people are looking forward to, or dreading, the next few months.

I know from experience that most students are ready for the freedom. Having a teacher as a parent, I also know that even educators who love their jobs are also ready for a break. Parents, on the other hand, may not be looking forward to their kids’ newfound freedom quite as much, but summer is being prepared for either way.

This year, I say we should all take a moment to stop and savor right where we are before looking ahead to the next 90-or-so days. I don’t think I’m too far removed from high school to tell graduates it feels like it was just yesterday. Enjoy these last few days at your schools. Even when you come back to visit, it will never be exactly the same. Not worse necessarily, but not the same either. Take the time to stop and take a good look around you. Savor your last few moments at this stage in your life. I know it’s advice you’ve all already gotten, but it’s good advice.

I think the same goes for college students. I was just at a wedding a few weekends ago, and it seems that all any of us could talk about was what fun we had in college. It’s a great four (or five, or six) years and you’ll certainly never get a chance to live exactly like that again. Savor that too.

But I guess the person that needs to take my advice on this subject the most is myself. I have a five-year-old daughter who will be starting school at Andalusia Elementary School in August. Now, I don’t know if it’s a generational thing or the fact that my own dad could be a softy at times, but I’m just as likely to lose it on her first day of school as my wife is. I know this is only the beginning for her, and as a person who actually liked school, I’m really excited for the journey she’s about to begin. But, I also know how quickly she has grown already. I know a year of real school will only seem to make her grow even faster. I really need to savor where she is right now, because it will be different even this time next year.

So, students, soon-to-be graduates and parents alike, I hope you take my advice. I hope you all enjoy whatever moments you have coming up. By the time you’re reading this, I will have long since headed home for the night to enjoy mine.