School days are waning

This past Thursday, Matt and I had the chance to go to Emmy's classroom and look through all of the work that she has done this year.  It was amazing to see the progress she has made.  She was proud of her work and we were thrilled to celebrate her success.

I did not feel too emotional when she started Kindergarten.  I felt nervous and anxious for her, but I did not experience one of those my-baby-is-growing-up-too-fast moments.  Now that the end of the year is approaching, I have been hit by these emotions over and over again.  I had to hide my face after leaving her classroom because I did not want her to see me crying.  Kindergarten feels like this magical bubble, especially because we love her teacher so much.  First grade is an unknown.  She'll be at school ALL DAY long.  She'll be on the playground with the big kids.

And speaking of her teacher, I will really miss him.  My entire life, I have had a special love for my teachers.  There were many last days of school when the other kids were celebrating and I was crying over the end of an era with one teacher or another.  There are a few teachers I've kept in touch with other the years.  But it is never the same, because they aren't my teachers anymore.  I no longer have the privilege of enjoying the magic that goes on in their classroom.  New students take my place, the teacher starts over again.  Even now, I sometimes wish I could be read to by Ms. Hudson, sit and write poetry in Mrs. Sexton's 4th grade class, discuss literature in Mr. Polivka's English class, hear Mr. Carr deliver a lecture on Abraham Lincoln, be enlightened by Brother Bradford's perspectives on the scriptures, and play in the orchestra with Mr. West. 

I never knew how I would live vicariously through my children.  I will probably miss Mr. Morris more than Emmy will.  She may smile and say hi to him from across the playground, but she will not be sitting eagerly in the front row, listening to him singing and playing on his guitar every morning.

Things will never be the same, it's true.  But at least I've learned in my small life, that change often brings new people to love and new experiences that become a part of who we are.