Full Circle

It's the first day of school today. I love the first day of school! I don't have kids, and I'm not in school, but I still love it. This is a big day! All my teacher friends go back to work, my friends' kids are starting school, summer is over, fall is approaching, holidays are coming, and order can be restored! When I was a student, I loved the first day of school. Usually, even though you probably didn't admit it, you were ready for school to start. The new clothes, buying your supplies, tearing open a fresh pack of pens, wondering what the hell a protractor was, meeting new teachers, and seeing ALL your school buddies was so refreshing. The first day of school means packed lunches, pop-tarts, individually wrapped snacks, and embarrassing notes from mom on your napkin. The first day of school means meeting the new-to-town kids, ridiculous gossip, cliques, innocent romance, and teetering moments between childhood and adolescence. The first day of school means hearing the kids play at recess while I'm home at lunch, reminiscing football games as I hear the high school band practice on my evening walks, and remembering NOT to go to TJ's Burgers or CiCi's on a Friday.

With each passing year, the first day of school evokes different memories for me. When I first graduated high school the first day of school was a proud, and almost snooty, moment for me as I looked down upon the high schoolers as a new college student. Then when I graduated college, it brought about feelings of sadness and longing for the classroom of expansive knowledge I might never meet again, and the continuous mundane view of offices I'd see for the rest of my life. Now, as a 3 year post graduate, the first day of school brings about a mix of emotions. I have friends with kids now, and I'm at a age where I could have kids. One day I'll be in a new "role" for the first day of school as "mom," instead of "student." Scary? No, not really. As most of you probably don't believe, I'm looking forward to walking my kid into their classroom, and helping them with their spelling words and math homework each night. I'm excited to pack a lunch and write "I love you, sugar booger" on the napkin just as my mom did for me every morning. Sometimes I think I'm ready for 3pm to mean something different than "it's only 3 o'clock?!"

No, I'm not pregnant, nor planning to be in the near future, but it's funny how my mom was right when she said, "It'll be time one day; you may never like other people's kids, but you'd die for your own in a heart beat." Maybe not today, maybe not in a couple years, but someday I'll be a mom excited for my baby's first day of school. The first day of school is a day for parents more so than the kids, and I can only hope to be half as awesome a parent as my parents were, and still are, to me. Happy first day of school, everyone!