It’s another new school year, filled with hope and another year closer to graduation. It’s me telling myself, “maybe this year we will do it well and keep our "stuff" together the entire year”.
The new shoes, freshly sharpened pencils, clean back packs, and the
excitement that comes with beginnings. I
have always loved this time of year and as a mom I really enjoy watching my
kids as I send them off to their next great adventure (away from home for a
few hours a day)!
But, this morning I was filled with many emotions as I scanned
through Facebook and saw all the pictures of smiling children ready to take on
another year. It was that painful reminder that
not every “back to school” post tells the whole story.
So here is mine;
I sent three of my children off this morning on the
bus. I am confident that two of them
will have a great day and somewhat uneasy about the other. He is starting a new school and has been
filled with anxiety over his new beginning.
I also have one child that is missing from our traditional back to
school photo shoot. It is the missing
photo that prompted me to write this morning.
Last spring, we made the very difficult decision to have our
middle child get help outside our home.
She struggles with severe Reactive Attachment Disorder and a few other
intellectual and emotional challenges. She
started school last week, but there was no first day of school pep talk or
photo. School for her is filled with
many complexities and the start of this new school year has left her feeling
out of control. This year she is
in a place that can help her navigate some of those feelings. We are thankful, but today I am filled with
unexpected emotions around her absence of our annual tradition.
As you scroll through to see all the wonderful back to
school pictures of smiling children, please remember that Facebook pictures and
posts rarely tell the whole story.
Remember that behind those smiling faces are real fears and
big emotions. For some of them, school will be hard.
Remember that on the other side of the camera are the parents
and family members trying their best to make good decisions for these
kids. And just minutes after the pictures
were taken and the kids got on the bus, many of those adults fell into a puddle
of tears or burst into excitement. Maybe
the kids did too!
Remember that when they get off that bus at school, there
are teachers and staff that have dedicated their year to educate and help our
children learn and grow. They too have big feelings about the start of a new
school year.
Remember that each child has unique needs. If your child
will get through today and/or this school year with ease, praise God for
that. And if they won’t, grab a cup of
coffee and have a good cry and then praise God for the strength He has given
you to face another school year.
