Summer is my favorite season — it holds its own sort of magic with the hot days, muggy nights, family get-togethers and time on the water. Summer has truly become more than just a season for me; it’s a way of life.
But this year, things are changing. My oldest boy is starting school this week. Yes, the big Kindergarten … which everybody who’s anybody knows is quite the colossal deal these days. And, I can’t help but realize my summer will ending far too soon this year. Yes, it’s back to school, and the party is officially over.
Formal education requires structure, which means early to bed, early to rise … oh, and it’s time to buy those school supplies.
As I walked into the gymnasium at Russell Primary School for the Kindergarten orientation, I wasn’t prepared for what was inside. No, it wasn’t the crowd that caught my attention, or all the sounds of the enthusiastic children, or even the overwhelming feeling that my little boy is growing up and leaving me … but as I entered those doors, I was taken back. Twenty-six years later, school still smells exactly the same. How do they do that?
Suddenly I was a kid again walking through those doors. Memories of school days flooded into my head — things I simply had put out of my mind —the smells, the sounds, the cafeteria food … recess, favorite teachers and friends of long ago.
I can even remember my parents taking me to elementary school, pulling up in front of that big building, getting out of the car to hand me my lunch and straighten the large bow in my hair. They would always give me a hug and say, “We love you; good-luck at school today.”
I realized, sitting there in the gym, as our children enter school, it’s back to school for parents as well. This year, I think it’s me who actually needs the luck.
I hadn’t fully taken into account how much my life would change when my kids started school. After the orientation, guess who was up late doing all the homework his teacher gave us?
Yes, a new chapter of my life is certainly beginning. Or, perhaps it’s more an old chapter is now being reopened. I’m just on the other end of things this time around.
The bright side is, that with change, comes new opportunities. And just like all those years ago, I have a chance to make new friends right along with my son and perhaps even learn a few new lessons about life. I’m excited for him. While I can tell he is a bit afraid of the unknown, I know he is up for any challenge. Great things lie ahead for him; and as he heads out the door each day, I will remind him, in the famous words of Dr. Seuss, “You’re off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So… get on your way.”
