Because you know what today is…

Yeah…it’s fall…I see Kroger has these all over the place…and Hobby Lobby is already marking all their Christmas stuff down because, gosh, it’s been out since July, right?

And I want to holler….SLOW DOWN PLEASE….because….this one

starts 4 year preschool  today…and we only have one year til he’s officially a…I can’t bring myself to say it…the K word.

Because I am pretty sure it was like seconds ago that I cried my eyes out putting his mommy on a school bus with a backpack about the same size as her own 5 year old self…and now…

Even though we haven’t bought a school supply for a Reimer child in at least 3 years (I count tuition as a school supply)…

The memory of that pang in the heart that the start of a new school year can bring is still fresh , so I thought I would share a few tips that helped me through the tender days of transition.

1. When Rachel started Kindergarten, we took the advice of the school professionals and let her ride the bus. But I may have driven the 10 mile stretch between us and her a couple of times just to make sure the school looked okay. And I possibly drove past just about every school at different times in the many years that followed. Because Drive-by Prayers are the best <3
2. When all three started school, I began to go sit at McDonalds near our house on the first day of school. I would order a coffee and take my journal. Sitting there with tears flowing, I would write each child a letter. I planned to give them the bundle on graduation from high school…they are still in my dresser drawer. I am not sure they are ready, even as adults, for the full outflow of their mother’s emotions. I know the senior citizens at the other tables were very concerned for me each year so I can only imagine what fills those blotchy pages…
3. This piece of advice helped me when we sent our first child off to college. (keep in mind…she was attending the college located in our hometown…but living on campus, so cut me some slack). A friend at church told me to take my bible to her room and sit on her bed. Somehow reading God’s word while feeling connected to her was a huge comfort and also got my mind on Him instead of my own grief.
4. When our youngest started Kindergarten, I remember this going in the room thing hitting a different mark…because when I went to sit on his bed I picked up his blanket and held it to me. If a piece of fabric can hold love, a child’s blanket is such a wonder. Somehow it captures the scent of who that child is to a mother’s heart. And to this day, I can close my eyes and I may as well be sitting on that bed holding on for dear life the dear life it represented. so….
5. I guess the best thing I can say is, if you are a parent or grandparent that needs to grieve (not all do, so you know who you are)….then, by all means, take some time to grieve another year passing.
6. For many years, I used a prayer from our Sarah’s orientation service for her freshman year in college. It was written by one of the professors, but in it was the following sentiment….I don’t want to plagiarize..but can’t find the paper right at the moment….so please forgive me Professor what’s-your-name….”We will acknowledge our grief, permit ourselves to live increasingly separate lives and learn to trust our love across the distance.”

Can I tell you today…I am still working on that…because that increasingly separate lives thing…

that’s a process…

and that love across the distance of time and miles and experiences…

it stretches us.

But stretching is good for all muscles…and after all…

the heart is a muscle….

which is something I learned in school…so….

I guess these guys have more to learn than the art of marshmallow roasting and maybe school’s a good thing after all <3

God bless you all in all the changes of life!