My Back to School Tears

Next week at this time, Sweet Boy will be starting back at school. He will be seeing his friends from last year and making new ones. He will be exploring his classroom, hugging his teacher and beaming with excitement.

Me? I’ll be in the car fighting back tears.

. . . Did I mention he is only in preschool?

The beginning of school always brings a mix of emotions in me. And don’t worry, it only takes a day or two for me to get back in the swing (even when I was the student). But the emotional build up in the week or two before school starts is a bit depressing.

Not only do I not want my son away from us (sob sob), but I am going to miss the freedom of summer schedules. Picking up and going here or there. Spending the days doing whatever it is we want, wherever we want.

What I finally remembered from last year (and found solace in) was the fact once I saw how much my son loved going to preschool, I didn’t mind the “away” time, nor the interruption to our freedom. I found structure in the schedule and growth for each of us. It meant one-on-one time with Sweet Girl, easy errands with just one kid to tote around and even better productivity for me.

Yes, I’m just a sappy mom sharing the woes of sending your baby off to school. But I am learning to cherish the new seasons instead of dreading them. To embrace the coming growth rather than wanting to hunker down and stay right where we are.

Parents with older children always say time flies too quickly. I guess I have somehow thought I could avoid it because honestly, I don’t want time to move at all. I love this stage of life. I love the fun of a 3 and nearly 5 year old.

But as the Scriptures say, everything is a season and that has been ordained by God. Who am I to argue with that? So next week, yes, I may be fighting tears. I may actually cry when I get back in the car. I may go home and snuggle more with my baby too young to start school. But I will thank God for the beginning of a new season.