School Day

It was a morning full of anticipation, apprehension, and nerves running amuck. And this was me, not even my son or daughter.

Today was the first day of first grade for my son and preschool for my daughter. "What are you going to do with all your time?" and "Aren't you glad they are both in school?" were common questions I was asked over the summer. I was even told to prepare myself for a quiet home, for childless time. But how does one even begin to prepare for something so monumental?

Being the planner that I am, I had my grand plan in place ready to execute. After the second drop off, with my new book in hand, I walked right into the coffee shop prepared to read for the whole 2 and 1/2 hours my daughter was in preschool. I can't remember the last time I was able to read uninterrupted. I ordered my coffee, sat down and was flipping page after page engrossed in the plot of my new book. That is, until a mom and her little boy sat at the table next to me. As they were talking over coffee and chocolate milk I became filled with sadness that my son's teacher would now be spending more time with my son during the day then I. No longer would my son and I enjoy a relaxing morning over coffee and chocolate milk. Ok, so its not like I will never have coffee and chocolate milk with my son again, the point being he is now in school and away from home for most of the day. I could no longer focus on my book and decided to leave and figure out what to do with the 2 hours left in my morning before I could pick up my daughter. So much for best laid plans.

It seems so hard as a parent to learn to let go as children grow and mature. I keep a quote in mind every time I have trouble letting my kids spread their wings. It says, "A mother is not a person to lean on but a person to make leaning unnecessary." My job is to continue to provide them with the tools they need to successfully spread those wings.