Like it was yesterday <3

Well, I have been a leaky eyed Lola this week. 

Not only are our four headed back to school today, we have some sweet kids we have watched and prayed over from the sidelines headed off to college whose parents seem like our kids as well. 

I know. I know. 

New school year, new opportunities, all part of the plan. 

But I always need a moment to grieve the passing of time. 

When I started dropping three kiddos off for the first day of school and getting back in an empty, quiet van back in the day, I couldn’t go home. 

I started my own back to school tradition by heading to the local McDonald’s with my spiral notebook, pen, plenty of tissues and a refillable cup of coffee. 

The first year I did this, I discovered that 8 AM at McDonald’s is kind of like clubbing for senior citizens. They were gathered around tables laughing and talking over their own coffees. 

As I dabbed my eyes and wrote letters to each of our kids, they would glance over with concerned looks. Thankfully they didn’t invade my space, but I could tell they noticed the red eyed mom all alone. 

Now I am that senior citizen, I guess. According to the government and probably all the young moms who are in their own empty vans these days, I appear to be though I can’t say I feel it inside most of the time.

The circle of life and such. 

I have been thinking about that stack of letters tucked away in the keepsake drawer of my dresser this week.

My intent originally was to give the packet to each of our children when they graduated from high school, but I picked up the vibe that they weren’t probably too interested in their mom’s thoughts about each new school year as they headed off to dorm rooms and new friends and freedom from house rules. 

So lately I have been thinking about just reading them myself and deciding if they need to be saved or not. 

Maybe I should just take them up to the McDonald’s some morning, enjoy my senior discount on a coffee and complete the circle <3