Back to School
Do you ever get the feeling the older you get the faster time flies? I am the mom of 4 “big” kids…two of my own, a boy and a girl, and two stepsons. One just graduated from college and has a “real” job, another will be a senior in college, one a sophomore in college and the youngest is heading into his senior year of high school. As my kids have gotten older, BACK TO SCHOOL has some parts that still ring true from when they were young, and some other parts that are beyond what I could have imagined.
BACK TO SCHOOL used to be more like buying lunch boxes and new tennis shoes, has turned into buying comforters and coffee makers. One of the things that hasn’t changed much over the years is my heart...that still seems to squeeze a little bit tighter this time every year. On that first day of school, I’m still hopeful my kids will make good and new friends, and that they will always treat people better than they deserve. I pray for them every year as if it’s their first day of kindergarten all over again. That they will be prepared for whatever their new adventure may be, because even though they’ve been in school for years, every BACK TO SCHOOL is a different adventure. I want their hearts to be soft enough to love people who are different from them and be the ones who ask a lonely person to sit at their table. But I also want them to be tough enough to stand up to bullies, for what they believe in and to do those hard things we have to do some days as we get older.
I love remembering that I am the same mom who bandaged up skinned knees and held them when they cried. Now some of their wounds are a little harder to see and a Smurf bandage won’t even heal them. I'm beyond thankful when they are home for the summer and want a little extra TLC, that's something that will never get old. Since the time they physically spend with me is so much less these days, I have to hope my words on a text or phone call are a balm to them. It’s true that broken hearts, missing college friends and life changes are bigger and more part of our summers these days than falling off of bikes or going to the splash park…but the happy faces, new relationships and wins are bigger too! I can remember the summer my oldest learned to ride his bike, oh he was so happy…but man, I will never forget his face when he graduated from college and got his dream job…that’s one of those really big wins.
Summers have come and gone for many years now, and this mom is in her feelings as this one draws to a close. “The days are long, but the years are fast” couldn’t be more relatable to me. Those long ago, lazy days of summer swimming in a pool or going to the zoo, have been replaced with borrowing the van to drive to an amusement park or watching our favorite show on Hulu…but our moments are still so sweet. Those precious times when all the kids are home and we talk and laugh together are priceless. It’s fun getting to know them as “big kids” and I really like what I see! I see them spreading their wings and becoming exactly who they are supposed to be…all those summers of love and laughter, and even sadness, have taught my kids life lessons they will carry with them every time they go BACK TO SCHOOL.
I know this school year will have its highs and lows and everything in between, just like all the others. This mom of “big kids” has the same hopes as every year, that they all do well, are kind to others, make good choices, love their classes and teachers…professors, too…just like when they were little kids. And when the seasons change, and summer comes marching back in, I hope their mouths will be full of stories, their heads full of wisdom and their hearts full of love and laughter…the kind that will still wrinkle their noses a little bit.
Another of my BACK TO SCHOOLs won’t be started with kids getting on a school bus, hoping they have their “best” friends in their class, but it will start with those same feelings of anticipation I’ve always had. That little bit of worry they won’t be okay without me. But I wipe my tears and let them know they are loved. I remind them that no matter what the first day brings, they will make it through just fine and I’ll be ready and waiting to hear all about it. It may be through FaceTime, a text or phone call, but I will be waiting all the same…to hear about their days and to make sure they are okay. Then another BACK TO SCHOOL will be in the books and they be all the better for it!
