Juliet Reyes reminisces about why it’s hard to say goodbye when children go off to school.
It’s that time of year: pumpkin spice is back, shiny school supplies have taken over the pool floatie isles, and even Halloween costumes are in full swing, so that can only mean one thing: Back to School season is upon us!
At this point, I’m a seasoned pro. Though I can vividly recall the first time I dropped off my child to kindergarten…we both were full of nerves and very uncertain what the future held. After all, he’d been my sidekick for what seemed like forever, and what was literally his whole life. Many tears were shed. But eventually we both learned it was going to be okay.
By the time first grade rolled around, I learned to relish my “me” time. Over and over again I heard the adage: “The days are long, the years are short.” Fast forward, I dropped off my son to college, thousands of miles away. My heart ached, my tears found their way back to me and my emotions were a crazy mix of yearning for the past and yet so extremely excited for what his future holds.
My mind raced with questions: Would he be safe? Would he make friends? Somehow, we made it through the entire school year unscathed! He had a fantastic freshman experience, found “his people” and was well on his way to reaching his goals.