Back To School Means I'm Another Year Older

There are those people who live for summer, but I have never really been one of them. Sure even as a kid, I liked swimming and no homework, but I can't stand the heat and humidity and I am rather sick of being a personal Hoxworth Center for every mosquito in the Tri-State area. I have traded my perfume for OFF and more often than not, sport a pony tail vs. attempting to tame the frizz. Needless to say I am looking forward to fall but even that has it's downside: SCHOOL.

If your new to my blog, you might assume I am a teacher, but no. Just a parent of 2 pre-teens who seem to think homework is the worst possible thing a human could endure. (Sitting with them and getting them to do it, maybe...)

As a child, I rather enjoyed going back to school. Who doesn't love opening a box of new crayons? A new pencil pouch with a clean new eraser. Since I wore a uniform, new bows (yes it was the 80's after all), new shoes and socks, maybe even a new backpack or lunch box (Strawberry Shortcake or Cabbage Patch Kids?) I loved meeting my new teacher on the first day, seeing friends I hadn't all summer. It was a fresh start with a whole world of opportunities.



























Seeing my kids and all of my friends posting pictures of their kids' first days of school... It's kind of a rude awakening. Feels like yesterday I was tossing on my jumper and walking up to school. I remember thinking I would be in school forever. 1994 seemed light-years away.

Now it is light-years away, just in the opposite direction.

What's worse is there is no telling my kids:
  • Enjoy it while it lasts.
  • It will be over before you know it.
  • Wait until you have to go to work full time with only 2 week vacation.
They will no more listen or comprehend this gift of advice any more than I did. I thought my parents were ancient and crazy. How could they possibly understand the complexity of my life?

Clearly my children view me in a similar fashion. This weekend Alex spent 10 minutes (would have been longer, but I encouraged him to get to the point) rationalizing his NEED to have shelves for his locker. As if this was a new thing, he was going to explain to me how they worked before I cut him off. He was genuinely shocked when Pete and I told him of our locker-ing days, how we too had purchased shelves and accessories like magnets for pictures, a container for pens and even a mirror.

I honestly think he was picturing us in a Natural History Museum exhibit at that very moment along with the invention of fire.

While all this back to school business is exciting, and I am always happy to get another year under my belt, it is a constant reminder that I am in-deed one year older. It also makes me wonder if those who are retired look at work, the way I had at school. In the year 2040-something will I be thinking how those years of work flew by?

If so, I hope at the very least retirement is easier.


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