starting a new chapter...

I feel fortunate, I am lucky enough to have 3 beautiful, smart, happy, healthy and funny children.  They make me a better person, they make me happy, they make me whole.  They also make me crazy sometimes too!  They have started school, and with my youngest just starting Kindergarden (full day may I add)  I realize just how lucky we are to have our children in a school that we really love.  They are cared for by other people that I trust, and that I know have their best interest at heart!  They welcome my children with open arms, and put me at ease when I am clearly upset.  I felt that more than ever today as I walked into the school hand in hand with my new kindergartner!  I could feel my eyes filling with tears as we approached the classroom, and I knew I was going to be a blubbering mess.  My son wanted to go in and see his teacher from the year before, and all it took was for her to ask me how I was for me to fall apart.  She let me cry in her classroom, and offered me a kleenex and a shoulder to cry on. I don't know of many other schools where something like this would be the norm.  I could see the tears in her eyes, and I knew that she wasn't judging me, or looking down on me, she was there to help me!  As I wiped the tears from my eyes, she hugged me and told me what I needed to hear.  "your daughter is in good hands"  and I knew that was true!  I knew my daughters teacher was an amazing teacher!  I knew that she was in fact in good hands, but still I felt sad.  When we walked my daughter into her new classroom, her eyes lit up, she hugged her teacher, and her teacher hugged me (and I am not a hugger) as the room filled up I saw moms eyes filling with tears, real tears, and I saw the emotion that I felt!  I was not alone.  As I walked out of the building, I felt alone, and like a little piece of me was missing!  As I wait for my 3 wonderful children to walk through the door, I know they will all have stories to tell about their first day of school, and all the excitement will put me at ease!  I feel blessed that my children are able to experience wonderful teachers.  Teachers that want them to succeed  and who will care for my children while they are in school.  I know not all parents get to experience this type of thing!