On the First Day of School

I heard there was an opening at the nursery school both of my boys attended a few years ago. So, one day last month I asked Auburn if she would like to go to school. She was strapped in her carseat behind me as I drove through Ithaca. I could see her in the rear view mirror, her face the image of careful consideration.

Finally she said, "Yeah!" and then followed it with, "But Mama?"

"What Aubs?"

"I will really miss you."

"I will miss you, too."

My youngest child started school today. PTB and I dropped her off this morning and she was so pleased to be there.

That girl, she is built for going off into the world, what with her gregarious nature, her stubborn independence, her smiling confidence. She is everybody's friend before she even meets anyone. She is so assured about her abilities that she is not too timid to try any new thing or say any bizarre phrase. She lights up every room. And though she only attends school for three hours, three days a week, dang I really will miss her and will probably wonder each time we hang up her coat on the hook marked with her proud name, what in the world happened to my new little baby.

This goes without saying, but I must iterate it anyway: kids grow too fast and life speeds by at a rate that I can't catch up with.

I would be sad about that if I weren't so happy for them to see this big wide world and all the colorful people in it. And I guess it starts with nursery school three days a week.