Today (Wednesday) was the first day of First Grade for my wee Mr. Waits. And he woke up excited, so squirmy he could barely sit still to finish his granola with raspberries (and that’s saying a lot, considering his undying love of granola with raspberries), and he certainly wasn’t about to put up with posing for photos with mom. No-siree. There was SCHOOL to get to, and his TEACHER to hug, and his FRIENDS to reunite with, and this little sweetheart could just hardly contain himself.
This morning, I thought back to this time last year. When I wrote a very emotional, very heartfelt post about my only baby entering real school for the first time. It felt like a beginning that was also the beginning of a long, slow march towards an ending. It felt like the first step towards someday really letting him go.
But there was so much more wrapped up in that post, too. Because it wasn’t just a beginning – but also an end. In that same post I wrote about losing our beloved Harley-dog, after 12 wonderful years of love and friendship.
And this morning I thought back over this past year, and everything that has happened. Where we’ve come from, and how far we’ve truly traveled. This time last year I was cloaked in sadness, the kind of sadness where even beautiful beginnings somehow felt like tragedy unwinding in slow motion. And it just got worse from there.
But then, it began to get better. And then I found my power again. And this summer has been nothing short of a BLOSSOM. Waits bloomed through surf camp and theatre camp and kung fu camp and aqua camp and nature camp and farm camp, he bloomed bright and wild like the magical little being that he is. And I bloomed too, finally, fucking finally, and I caught my footing and took off running and man, I ain’t ever looking back.
Today Waits started first grade and I had not one single ounce of sadness. When I walked him into school this morning and saw the same familiar faces, the teachers and parents, and of course all those wide-eyed starbright tiny people, it felt just like returning to a community where we belong. Hugs and high-fives. Squeals and laughter. And it felt like such an exciting beginning, one of many new beginnings in our lives these days.
So cheers to those. And to many more!
♥
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