Bittersweet Back-to-School Days

After weeks of sweltering heat and hardly a drop of rain, I’m somewhat relieved that fall seems closer.

There’s still a bit of summer left, but summer vacation is now officially over at our house, and it’s back to school for our daughter and back to some uninterrupted writing time for me.

As we ready the usual school supplies, P.E. clothes, and first day outfit, I expect to feel somewhat giddy at the prospect of finally getting back to my usual routine.

I can almost taste that mid-morning cup of coffee now.

I can almost feel the computer keys fly beneath my fingertips.

And I can almost imagine minutes of golden silence reordered into my day.

Almost.

Almost except for those bittersweet twinges that so often accompany something new or something out of the ordinary.

I’m not sure what bothers me the most–the fact that our youngest child’s middle school years are over forever or the idea that school is so different from what it once was when I was her age.

Maybe it’s the student handbook/school planner that’s adding to my pangs of wistfulness. Somehow, topics like “Human Sexuality,” “Inappropriate Touching,” and “Vulgar Clothing” just seem terribly out-of-place to me amidst the multiplication graphs and geographical maps. (And by the way, the “Human Sexuality” heading isn’t just a small section. The details regarding what’s unacceptable at school are spelled out very graphically.)

I’m not a prude, and I realize the need for “i’s” to be dotted and “t’s” to be crossed where legalese is concerned, but even so, the fact that these things have to be covered in the first place within a school setting is just heart wrenching to me.

I gaze into my daughter’s lovely, young face and I’m determined to soldier on.

I’ll pray that she doesn’t see the trepidation in my eyes or sense the vise-like grip about my heart.

And I’ll call to memory those carefree days of babyhood with her drool-moistened cheek pressed so tightly next to mine when she smelled of powder, applesauce, and innocence.

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What’s your fondest back-to-school memory?

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Photo Credit: Carlos Porto/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Blessings Always,