The First Day

I have been trying to write about this topic for weeks now, but every time I think about the words I want to say, I end up in tears and can’t face my thoughts. Well, it is now or never.

Tuesday marks the day for many “firsts” in my life. Not only will I have my first day in a new school, but my 6-year-old Kindergarten son will also. My nerves for him supersede the nerves I have about starting a new teaching position.

The day your baby is ready for their first day of school is a moment parents think about from the day they are born. I remember holding my little boy in the hospital and hearing the words, “Just wait, before you know it, you will be sending him to Kindergarten and then to college.” Wow, it really does go that fast.

As I reflect on the first 6 years of David’s life, I have so many things I want him to know. He really is my little miracle.  When the odds were stacked against me having a baby of my own, this little boy came along and completely changed the way I look at life. Now he is ready to face his next milestone. I couldn’t be more proud of the little man he is growing up to be. There is never a dull moment when David is around and he always has a story to tell or a game to recap. He never ceases to amaze me. His memory and love for numbers is something I am so excited to see grow throughout his education.

But, I, along with all the other new kindergarten parents, will never forget this feeling as we get ready to send our little precious bundles to school. If you are anything like me, you worry 24 hours of the day. (Ok, so maybe I worry more than most, but you get the point.) I worry about him feeling left out on the playground, I worry about him not being able to do something in his lessons and getting discouraged, I worry about him feeling lost and scared, and the list goes on.  While I will always have something to worry about, I have to keep telling myself that he will do great. This is the first step in letting him grow on his own. 

We have all been through this transition in our lives and have managed to get through it. Now that I think about it, the same worries I have for him, are just a different variation of the worries I have about starting a new job. We will all have to face “firsts” sometime. While it is scary and nerve-wracking, the first step is what leads us to the next one. Without taking that first step, we will never know where the road will lead us.

Yes, I wish I could slow time down, but I know I can’t.  I have to live in the moment and embrace every second we have together.  So, Tuesday, as David and I start our “first day of school”, we will take the step together,  hand-in-hand (because he still lets me do that). You have to have the “First Day” in order to make that second and third day easier. 

Love this little prayer...

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