The Start of a 12 Year - and life long - Journey

I value education.  I know we all do.  I know all parents want their children to be educated.  We all want them to have a love for learning, a voracious appetite for new things and concepts and an aptitude for reciting what they've learned and putting it into practice.

Yesterday was G's first day of Kindergarten.  We walked as a family to his school and up to his classroom door.  He found his name at his table.  He set down his backpack.  He opened his pencil box and set to work.  He gave me a high five and that was that.

When talking about school I didn't go into too much detail.  I said it was school, like pre school and he'd learn about math and science and writing and he'd read books and play games and have recess.

But mostly I told him, this is your job now, just like daddy has a job.  You will go into school every day at 7:50, and I will pick you up every day at 2:50.  And you will learn and do good works and be kind and make new friends.  You will have listening ears and an open heart.  You will be kind.  You will be kind.  You will be kind.

And I'll have Saturdays and Sundays off? Just like Daddy?  And can play all day?

Yes.  And it will be great fun.  And you can play with your brother in the afternoons.

When I woke him up on Monday I heard him talking to his brother.

Now David, I won't be home today, so I won't be able to play with you.  But I'll be home in the afternoon, and we can play then.

When I got upstairs he was still trying to put this message to David, who is 2 (nearly 3) but has little concept of these things.  I gently told G that David would be okay, and I looked at him and asked if he would give his brother a hug, because David would miss him.

And G's eyes got a little teary, and he gave his brother a hug.  No tear fell - the pride he has now is crazy, came out of no where - and he smiled at me and said he was ready.

He displayed no nerves yesterday.  Today he was quiet, so I think he was nervous today.  He didn't talk too much about his day yesterday.  His teacher called and said he was wonderful.  He said all they did all day was "practice."

I think today will be harder.  I think Wednesday will be harder still.

But I have faith that Monday will be better, and every day there after will be better still.

Twelve years of school ahead of him.  Longer, really, I have hopes of college.  Don't we all?  It's a long road, this path to being educated, of joining society.  And he has put down his very first step.