The Day Before the First Day of School

To me, Labor Day has always meant the last day of summer vacation, the day before school starts, and the beginning of fall. I guess this technically changed when I started college, but I didn't really notice or pay attention to it because we still had classes on that day. It wasn't until my first post-graduation Labor Day that I felt sad- it no longer represented what it once did.

I know a lot of states start school sometime during August, but in Virginia, when I was of the "school aged," we had something known as the Kings Dominion Law. It mandated that public schools were not allowed to start the year before Labor Day- in large part because of the tourism industry.
I've always loved going back to school, school supply shopping, and getting my new school year wardrobe. It was something I was so ready for by the beginning of every August. There was never any dread about starting school again, just the anticipation of all the great things I imagined would happen that year. I could never sleep the night before, even more so than on Christmas Eve. (Isn't that crazy?) My dad took me to breakfast every year on the first day, even in high school when we had to get up at 5am because my ride was picking me up at 6:30. (Yes, I was too cool for the bus by the 9th grade).

I guess I'm one of the lucky ones who have nothing but glorious memories of my formal schooling years. I guess I'm doubly lucky that I have nothing but the same memories of college, too! But that's beside the point. Erma Bombeck once said "There's nothing sadder in this world than to awake Christmas morning and not be a child." And how true is that? I've spent every year since I stopped believing in Santa Claus trying to recreate that magic- the magic I once felt. But I also think there's something very sad about waking up on Labor Day and knowing that you aren't going to have your first day of school tomorrow. That those years have passed, this is now an ordinary day, and tomorrow the school supplies will all go on sale.

I'm sure when Spencer starts kindergarten the same feelings will return, but I can't think about that now because it makes me teary. I know people always say that some of the Christmas magic returns when your children start believing in Santa, so I'm hoping the same thing applies to this craziness I feel about the first day of school! Sometimes I can't believe that era of my life is over- it will never happen again- it just doesn't make sense to me. When I was growing up I always remember adults telling me to enjoy my youth because it goes by too fast. I used to think they were nuts, because I was enjoying my youth! And now I think that might have been really bad advice, because I loved my youth so much that it's really, impossibly hard for me to let go of.


I've always thought it's unfair that we're young for such a short period of time and then old for the rest of our lives. Now that I'm getting older my definition of old is of course changing a bit, haha, but the day is going to come when there will be no about it- I'll be old. (The Lord willing.) And it's days like today that remind me of how fleeting this whole thing is. One of the Bible verses that's always haunted me is James 14:4 - You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. And there's nothing I can control about that.

Today is my bestie's birthday and we celebrated as we have done every year, reminiscing about old times and the good old days while wondering about our futures. A song came on the radio from that time, reminding us of our youth, and suddenly the memories came flooding back of the angsty days gone by. And I was happy. As much as I loved my youth, I'm looking forward to what's still to come. There are still the feelings of butterflies and anticipation about the tomorrows in my life. I'm so lucky that I have such wonderful memories but I'm even more thankful for all the ones I still have to make.

Happy Birthday Sara!

High School

College

And Beyond!