Our Last “First Day of School”

Published: August 31, 2021

We have all heard the saying “Time Flies”. When we are younger, it really doesn’t mean much. As I have grown older, that phrase has become more true than I have ever wanted it to be.

I am the proud Father of two wonderful daughters. Throughout the years I have watched them grow into the beautiful young women that they have become. But throughout all of those years there has always been one constant… The First Day of School.

In our home, it is a little different than in most households, you see, my wife is a teacher and the build up to the beginning of the school year after the long Summer vacation built like a crescendo in a John Williams movie theme. Starting around the first week of August, we would start getting new shoes for the girls for the upcoming school year. Followed by new school clothes and then supplies. My wife would hit every Walmart, Staples, Office Max and Target in the area searching for the best “Educator Discount” that she could find. This would last throughout the month of August, up until the first day of school.

For the most part, we were lucky and my daughters started school a day or two before my wife’s school district went back. This allowed her to be home to put both of them on the bus in the morning and to be at the house later in the afternoon when they arrived home from their first day.

As they got into High School, things changed a little. My oldest daughter now had a car, so we no longer needed to put her on the bus, plus, she was now in High School and did not want Mom and Dad making a big deal about the first day of school. My youngest daughter had not reached High School, so Mom could still make a big deal about her going to school.

Last year was quite different, for many reasons. Covid changed everyone’s schedule last year. Both my wife and my youngest daughter we at home. My wife virtual teaching and my daughter virtual learning. I think that I can speak for everyone when I say that it really was not the ideal situation and, well, basically it sucked. As for my oldest daughter, well, she had graduated from High School and was already off to college in another state. This was very difficult for my wife and me.

Now we come to this year. In about a week, my youngest daughter will be starting her Senior Year of High School. It will be the last time for my wife and I to send our children off for their first day of school. We missed out on the last bus pictures due to last year’s pandemic and my youngest daughter now has her own car.

I see in the back of my mind both of my daughters, a little excited and a little scared, getting on the bus for the first time getting ready to take on the world. I also remember the bright eyed excitement every year for what the school year had instore for them as Mom and I were worrying about the challenges that they would face. Like I said, I am so proud of the young women that they have become and how they will be soon spreading their wings, heading out on their own and taking on the world.

Time does fly. Before you know it time is just a memory. I am glad that my wife and I had the oportunity to have these memories. Although I am sad that this year will be the last memory in this chapter of our life. I am excited to see what becomes in our next chapter.