Firsts

August!! August is the month for firsts.  For those who have children and those who teach children and those who are in the "what now" stage and just love children, August is more a fresh start than January 1 will ever be.  Yesterday, I spoke with three different people who are watching firsts heading their way like a runaway train. 

Several precious babies in my church community are headed off to Snoopy Days and pre-school.  It creates a strange mixture of dread and excitement.  This picture was taken 31 years ago.  Immediately after the picture was taken he fell down our front steps.  How one fall could cause a scrape, a gouge, and a cut is mysterious, but he managed it.  I remember this day as if it were yesterday. Where have those years gone?

One of the people I spoke with yesterday is an adorable, intelligent, spunky young girl who is heading off to middle school this week.  She expressed a bit of anxiety over the change.  I experienced a stress in the pit of my stomach as I talked to her remembering my first day in junior high.  I wore a plaid skirt and olive green blouse that I had made over the summer while taking sewing lessons from a friend's mother.  I had on bobby socks.  My mother did not allow me to wear hose because, "nice girls don't wear hose to school."  Really?  That was 47 years ago and I still remember those socks. 

Another friend with whom I spoke yesterday has twins headed to two different colleges for the first time this month.  I can recreate the emotions she is feeling.  When we left our daughter at the University of Georgia as a freshman it was excrutiating.  We struggled to find just one more thing that needed to be done so we would not have to leave her.  Finally, we had to go.  We had to leave her.  We had to say good-bye.  He who wishes to remain unnamed on FB and I pretty much cried the entire drive back from Athens.  I have a notebook of the emails she sent  her first semester.  The whole first series of e-mails were entitled "one is the loneliest number."  That pretty much sums up how tough her first semester was.  One excerpt from a very long email dated August 26. ...."I know this email has been eternally long, but I had a lot to say after three days of no email.  I hope you are doing okay.  I am going to call tonight around 6:30 or so your time.  Don't worry, I won't interrupt Jeopardy.  I love you and miss you lots....ps I don't want to mark days off on a claendar because that will just make it last longer not less time.  love you."

August, a month of firsts for many people.  Firsts are good.  Firsts are tough.  Firsts bring us growth and character.  Firsts are an effective way to learn that "we can do it."  The "what now" age is a great time for firsts as well.  So, for whatever your first is this August,

blessings