My niece will walk into her first classroom tomorrow morning. So will one of the second graders I taught. I tried to wish them a good year without half-sounding like their mom. I think I failed. As proud of them as I am, I wish they were both still seven.
This time last year I was a basket case. We'd dropped Hayden off at college in Huntsville. I spent a good month tearfully singing the lyrics to a JJ heller song whose chorus encouraged that there's "an inch of daylight underneath the door".
Today it rained. I like songs about rain, but actual rain depresses me a little. The night before the first day of school brings out the ninny in me. I lament the fact that my kids have outgrown "Meet the teacher" and Lala Loopsy and Spider-Man backpacks, but the truth is I complained about meet the teacher and school shopping when it came around every year.
I have a terrible habit of hesitating at the threshold of new chapters. There's only "an inch of daylight underneath the door" because I forget to take joy in opening new doors. I'm morosely looking backward at the door that has shut.
I'm a tad bit envious of my friends who will drop their kids off at kindergarten tomorrow. Those days are long gone. They were fun days (except that the kids couldn't tie their own shoes, remember to brush their teeth or use a tissue to blow their nose).
Kinder moms probably wish they had a few more years with their babies at home. Or maybe they secretly long for the days that their back won't hurt from bending over the tub to wash the shampoo out of their five year old's hair.
And my friends who just dropped their youngest off at college? I'm guessing they wish their girls were still at home tonight with them tonight like my girls are.
Tonight the girls and I grabbed Starbucks drinks and drove by the middle school and high school campus praying (with our eyes open) for the year ahead.
We put on face masks. We let them dry and then wrinkled up our noses to make tiny cracks on our green faces.
We made queso and ate it for supper abandoning a health conscious meal.
No matter how much I miss the ritual nights before the first night of school when I'd read I Love You So at bedtime, I know that in a wink I'll look back to the season when I helped the girls combat jitters with face pampering and a Double Chocolaty Chip frappucino.
Look back with fondness where you've been. But love the season you're in.