Today was the first day of school for my girls. I admit that I got a little teary eyed as I pulled into my driveway this morning with just my husband. The feelings were bitter sweet for me. I miss having my girls home with me and I miss watching them learn....BUT I know that they are where they need to be, and that is comforting and reassuring and good for everyone.
Last night we had a little back to school celebration dinner. Ever since we home schooled, I've tried to get them excited for a new year of learning by having a special dinner the night before school begins. An appreciation for learning and growth is a life long skill that I'm trying to teach to my children and it never stops. Just recently I noticed that a lot of people also do a back to school feast and create a theme for their family for the year. This was just the thing that our family needed and as I began to brainstorm a family theme the popular phrase: "HAVE COURAGE AND BE KIND" came to my mind. I was a little apprehensive to use a line from a Disney movie as our theme...because I wanted it to have more of a spiritual message so I began to search the scriptures regarding courage and being kind. Last week early one morning during my scripture study I came across the scripture in Ephesians 4:32
"And be ye KIND one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."
When I read these words I couldn't think of a better scripture for my girls to remember for the school year. We have had some struggles in our home with being kind to one another, having a tender heart toward others and forgiving each other when we make mistakes. Over the past few years I have come to feel that the most important work I should be focusing on right now is what I'm doing to help my girls grow. I know that the work I do elsewhere will never compare to the time and effort I put toward teaching and guiding my little people to become the best people they can become. So, I decided to build our back to school dinner around this theme.
The menu consisted of a favorite food from each member of our family. It wasn't the most glamorous meal however when I presented it, everyone felt loved and represented at the table. Here was our menu:
Shon- Nachos
Avery- Risotto
Taylor- Broccoli soup
Addison- Deviled eggs (with bacon on top)
Emily- Salad and Sticky Toffee Pudding
After dinner we wrote down our goals for this new school year on special wish paper and went outside and lit the papers one by one and watched them fly into the sky. It felt almost like a prayer soaring up into the heavens. It was magical. Then we celebrated with my love for all things British and popped open British Poppers or "Crackers" which contains a joke or a fortune inside. Avery's popper was the perfect joke because it referenced the eclipse that would happen on their first day of school:
We had so much fun writing our wishes and celebrating with poppers but the most important event took place right after, our fathers blessings. As a child I remember sitting in my living room on Sandy Hills Drive with my 5 siblings and each of us one by one taking a turn to sit in a chair and my father placed his hands on my head and gave a blessing of guidance and council for the school year. There was a sense of peace and calmness that came over me each year when I received my blessing. It gave me the courage to do hard things and to make good choices. I knew once we had our children this was something that I wanted to continue to do with my family. I have noticed that they now desire to receive a blessing from their dad as well. It was the perfect end to our night before our first day of a new school year. They were ready.
This morning was great as they all got themselves ready just in time to snap a picture before we left for school. I noticed how much easier it was this year compared to last year because they had grown so much over the last 12 months. My girls are maturing and becoming more independent which is SO wonderful to see but hard for me to let go because they are not so little anymore.
Shon and I walked each of them to their classrooms. I stood outside the door peeking in to make sure they found their seat and I took the obligatory picture of them waving good-bye. My oldest Avery, who is in 6th grade walked right in and said, "bye mom, you don't need to walk me inside." When I tried to take her picture, she wouldn't look at me. I of course took the picture anyway! This moment for Avery was huge. Out of my three children, Avery has had the most difficult time adjusting from being at home to being in a traditional classroom. Avery has always been shy and reserved. She is timid and doesn't feel comfortable being in the spotlight. It was comforting to see her courage as she walked into the classroom with a new teacher, new and old friends and a new school year ahead. She was brave, more confident and I am so proud of the person she's become.
As we drove home and parked our car, Shon looked at me and was shocked to see the tears in my eyes. I know it is silly to cry when you send your kids to school; most women celebrate this time of year...but all I could think about is that my time is limited with my girls. I have 6 years before my oldest will become an adult. I can't believe how quickly the time rushes by and I find myself trying to hold on to them while encouraging them to grow. Letting go is a difficult lesson to learn.
After we got home it was soon time for the eclipse.
Wow was it an incredible sight to behold! As I watched the precise alignment of the sun and moon come together I couldn't help but think that the God of the heavens who is in control of bringing such majestic events together will do the same in our own lives if we have faith and trust him. My goal this year is to do just that, have more faith and trust in him, have courage and be kind, tender-hearted and forgiving. I'm certain it's gonna be a great year.
