School Day's

So I'm walking Sophia into her new school, Lighthouse Elementary, and I'm thinking I'm more nervous and excited than she is for the first day. She's got her uniform looking perfect, her mother has done her curly hair in pony tails, her backpack stuffed with supplies and lunch - she's ready.

And then I see it. The inevitable moment of truth for so many kids on their first day; tears, anguish, and anxiety. The "first time" parents are always easy to spot; inevitably they have their sunglasses on in an attempt to hide any tears they may shed that will only make it harder on their child. It's a tough scene to watch as it cuts to your own heart, yet it's also very beautiful as it represents in all of us the very first moment of breaking away, albeit a small break, but a signifcant one all the same.

Then there are the battle hardened vets, the mom's with three or four kids in tow. They've been there and done it, and really don't have time to coddle any one child more than other as she looks manic getting them together for a "first day of school" photo and sorting them to their classrooms. Still you know somewhere deep down inside that mom is secretly feeling the loss of yet another summer of her children's youth as well.

Sophia is prone to constantly asking me intrespective questions you don't expect from a seven year-old, "were you sad to go to school?" or "Papi,did your brothers walk with you to school too?". All types of questions that make me wonder about her, as she seems to wonder more about my childhood than her own, always seeking clues to my past. I guess it has a lot to do with the amount of time I spend talking about how "I remember this..." or "when I was a kid...". She's funny that way.

I do remember those moments though, and it's kind of funny because nothing jars them from you more than having to walk your own child into school on such a significant and poignant day. I remember sitting on the steps of Lasher road with my three brothers for a photo on the first day. I remember wearing our new school outfits and my mom walking all four of us to the huge playground where the teachers would be assembled to collect their students. I have a greater appreciation for what she must have felt that day, as I grew up in an era of mom's, not dad's. Dad was at work, these types of tasks were not of his duties, so I imagine the moment as hard as it felt as a child, must have been ten fold harder on my mom. Then again, who I am kidding, she probably loved getting us out of the house.

Still through it all, Sophia never let on that she wasn't ready or was feeling melancholic in the slightest. We opened the door to her new world today, and she leapt through it, like she always has. Thank God for this, as the anxiety is hard enough without your child resorting to tears. Her mother and I were there together for her like we've always been, something I will always do as I know that she feeds off of our dispostions. I could sense this moment wasn't as tough as past ones for both myself and Sophia's mami, good, as I cannot really handle anymore emotional moments this month.

As I left it occurred to me that today was my dad's 72nd birthday. How fitting that Sophie should start her new year on a day that in many ways represents a new start for my dad, his birthday. I called him on my way to work, and I thought how nice it was to hear his familar voice on this day, as it was such a short time ago that I couldn't imagine I'd be hearing it for much longer. He's slowly recovering, I know this because he's talking Eagles again. And so another school year is underway ......