The First Day

THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL 

The alarm tends to sound way too early on the first day of the rest of your life. This day is known to the young as The First Day of School. The night before the first day of school is not a gentle commencement either, as the words "I'm scared" and "I'm excited" are interchangeable and so cunning that the thoughts that follow those words weaponlessly battle and defeat Mr. Sandman every year. Will I make straight "A"s? Will my hair stay straight in this weather? Why did I agree to write and sing a rap song on the morning announcements to sell spirit shirts?  I should have listened to my mom and used her creative idea for the project, finished my summer reading, and started adjusting my bedtime a week early. (Ya, I made those last ones up.) And when their sweet little brains are done taking stock of their hopes, goals and insecurities, the journey to the next grade begins and their eyes finally close to await the alarm that screams "Grab your socks, soldier. Your summer is gone." 

THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF MY LIFE

I feel like with all the changes, both wonderful and dreadful that our family has encountered recently, that today is the perfect day to take stock of the positive things.   

STOCK OF POSITIVE THINGS

1)  My kids are all healthy, happy, and excited about school.

2)  Me too. 

3)  I am at peace with the extra 7 pounds I have gained, and ate breakfast tacos for breakfast.  

4)  When Maya said "Wow mom, my arms almost don't fit around you anymore." I resolved that it was up to her to grow longer arms.

5)  I didn't go to the bathroom once while running on the treadmill this time.

6)  My wonderful boss lets me go home early several times a week so that I can be with my kids. 

7) My parents and friends love and support me no matter what. 

8)  My editors, who love me very much, talked me out of finishing the story I was writing about a fictional character named Ryan who, in order to accommodate his girlfriend's insecurities, refused to attend his child's 18th birthday dinner. Thank you editorial staff.  Positivity begins now. 

9)  I never go out anymore, but Saturday night, when I did, I learned that the number of times I say "Oh my God this is my FAVORITE song" and run out onto the dance floor like a fool is directly proportional to the number of martinis I drink. 

10) I think I'm allergic to martinis, and dancing, and handsome young men. I will be prepared next time and first take a Zyrtec allergy relief pill, along with a dose of dignity and sophistication.

11) Before my seven year old got on the bus this morning I hugged her and said "It's going to be the best day of school ever!" and she replied "That is because of you, Mom."  That remarkable kid is made up of all things beautiful, unconditional love, and a touch of Eddie Haskell. 

12)  One of the best days of my life, and I know this sounds reprehensible, was when my oldest daughter was very sick a week ago.  She slept with me as I took care of her, and held her in my arms, and watched movies with her, and held her in my arms even more. Because I knew it could be the last time she ever lets me.

13)  My oldest daughter will be graduating soon.  Part of me wants her to spread her wings and fly as far away as she can to encounter fresh new adventures and experience the world, and all it has to offer.  But don't ever tell her I said that, because most of me wants her to stay home.  Forever. 

14) Pitch Perfect 2, the best movie since Encino Man, is coming out in 2015!

15) I decided that I will not post pictures of my kids' first day of school on Facebook.  Everyone does that crap and I am not a follower. I will post pictures of them on a different day of school. And it's not because my camera stopped working this morning. It's because I'm a rebel. 

16)  Mostly I am thankful for you, as I know if you are reading this you have touched my life in some way. And it is because of you I know that no matter what the next perfect storm brings, when I write about it you will laugh at me, or with me, cheer for me, roll your eyes at me, mentally correct my grammar, foul language, creative punctuation and my affinity for starting sentences with conjunctions, or perhaps, and I hope, you even like and understand me. That is how I know that even though we are alone in this life in many ways, our laughter, energy and shared similarities bond us together, so we are never truly disconnected. 

17) The first day of the rest of your life can also sneak up on you so you don't even notice, until later reflection, that your flight path has curved in a surprising new direction.  All we can do is enjoy the ride.