Chasing Away Summer Blues
“August rain: the best of the summer gone, and the new fall not yet born.The odd uneven time.” Sylvia Plath
Well that was fast.
Summer Break 2015 is in the books, and we are shuffling the kids off to school today.
More reasonable regions of the country still have August to enjoy school-free, but even for them the days will pass soon enough; backpacks will soon replace beach bags, and scarves will supplant sunscreen.
Whether or not the lunch is packed or the permission slips are signed, the school bus waits for no one.
From one angle, I'm tempted to mourn the loss of long days and extended together time. However, the flip side of the coin is we're all ready for just a little, itty-bitty, smidge more space. We long for structure and (can it be??) want a renewed disciplined approach to life.
And so, we are re-framing today as a welcome event, like New Year's Day - though sadly there's no football - but still, it's all about POTENTIAL!!!
Potential to get a cool locker, a sane lunch hour, a best friend; to memorize the rivers in Europe, dissect a worm, and practice math procedures your parents don't understand.
This year is about OPPORTUNITY!
Now is the time our children will learn to blow spit wads with accuracy, throw pencils into the ceiling tiles, and learn what bus etiquette really means.
Maybe there will be science facts tossed into the mix too.
Oh yes.
We all need exposure to people who reinforce priorities which have become slack over the summer; those who require neat handwriting, a semi-orderly desk, and a picked-up lunch tray.
Was anyone actually parenting over the break? Hmmm.
Remember social studies books? Math equations? There will be opportunities to use those too!
It's all so exciting.
I can't wait.