Twas the Night Before School...

It’s the night before a new school year, and my daughter – going into second grade – went to sleep with butterflies in her stomach.  The day didn’t start off with so much tension.  In fact, it was the opposite - the whole day was a burst of excited energy – buying and preparing school supplies, taking out her uniform, reviewing the class lists, finishing up our summer homework (ahem – a lot of time was spent doing this until late into the evening.)  But once the homework was done, the backpack put beside the door, and we got into bed, the tears started to flow.  I was reminded of how when I was young, about a week before school started, without fail I would get a rash on my face.  Oh, how tense I used to be about the uncertainty – year after year after year.  Even though I loved school and had great friends, it always sucked to go back to school and college.

Tonight, I could only encourage my daughter that it was going to be a great year, seeing all her friends after a long summer, meeting new teachers, and the prospect of learning so many new things.   I pointed out that Leela, her younger sister, had a stomach ache last month as we drove to her new school for an orientation.  But upon arrival, she was welcomed with open arms and loved the school.

Heck, even President Barack Obama had a message for  Tara and other students this year, I told her.  (On a side note, I think its great that our children are being welcomed back to school by the President with a message of responsibility and empowerment for their future.  For the President to take the time to welcome kids back to school sends an important message to them – education and school matters.)

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by Mallika Chopra from Intent.com
Mallika is Tara and Leela's mom. She's written two books inspired by them - 100 Promises to My Baby and 100 Questions from Her Child.  She started Intent to realize her personal intention to connect with others by sharing and listening to each others stories.

Read more by Mallika on Intent.com

• Kids on Leashes
• Free at Last - Welcome Home Lisa and Euna!
• Family's Torn Apart
• The Hardwiring of Human Empathy: How We Can Save One Child at a Time