A Deep Breath Before School Starts

I’m taking this week off the blog to take a DEEP BREATH before school starts.

My daughter starts high school later this week. My son starts middle school next week.

You can bet we’ll be celebrating the start of those milestones!

But maybe not the early bus schedule. Lord have mercy.

My kids were not in a classroom at all last year, so this is a big adjustment back to whatever we are calling a return-to-school these days. The real world? Our new normal?

At a bare minimum this adjustment is going to involve my kids wearing real pants and not pajama pants to school. It’s a real bummer when you have to plan for people to see you from the neck down and not just from the neck up.

I have a strong feeling that in 20 or 30 years I will look back on the last 18 months with a mix of feelings.

There will be horror and sadness that so many people needlessly died during this pandemic.

There will be happiness and gratefulness for this extra time I’ve had to spend making memories at home with my kids.

When I think about how I want to spend my time, I’m often reminded of this quote:

“Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have and only you can determine how it will be spent.” – Carl Sandburg

Extra time is something we so rarely get in this life.

So, I’m going to take a deep breath this week before the routine of the school year kicks in and just appreciate this moment.

(I may also freak out a little internally because my firstborn is starting high school and do you know how big high school campuses are? I’d forgotten. She’ll be fine. She’s smart, talented, and has parents who love her endlessly.)

I’ll be back next week with new blog posts! Until then, here are some other posts you might enjoy.

How We Celebrate the First Day of School

A Year Without Grades

Travel: Opus 40