GIANT STEP INTO A NEW ERA

Today was one of the biggest, most exciting milestones in my 6th granddaughter Natalia's young life.

She started BIG SCHOOL and was very excited, it was something new and it MUST be important as mom has spoken about how wonderful it will be for ages now. THEN there was that huge rush buying uniforms, including matching brooks, shoes and socks, and all that stationary. Can ANYTHING be more exciting then to embark on such an adventure when a girl is 6!

For mom.......she is devastated, her baby is taking a giant step into the world, and she has a lump in her throat the size of an apple, she is weepy and wonders if she will survive this ordeal. She did not sleep well the night before, tossing and turning, she wears dark glasses to hide the evidence of her ordeal.

Every minute of the day, until 12 noon her mind is nowhere else but in that classroom where she handed her child over to ANOTHER WOMAN. Will she understand her, be able to 'read' her as she herself can, will she have fun today and look forward to tomorrow or will mom have to drag her kicking and screaming? Each child reacts differently, every mom the same, with heavy hearts.

Natalia will be more tired than normal today as more is expected of her. This is not preschool where the rules are more flexible, but this is the first step into learning to integrate into society one day so that she may become a contributing citizen, and rounded adult.

However, I know ONE little girl who had it all figured out and had sized up the situation on her 1st day of school years before. I was called in by the teacher on THE FIRST DAY and was told that Lisa had thrown all her pencils, crayons and her sissors out of the window. She told us they 'fell out of the window'. Do you want to know what this imaginative 6 year old said when taken to task? "If I have no pencils or crayons, then I can't go back to school!"

Well, Natalia is a chip off the old block so I wonder how this day will end for her.

Lisa, I am feeling your anguish baby girl, but it gets better and can even be an exciting road for the 2 of you to travel along together, making plenty of memories along the way, so, take her by the hand and walk with her - you will be amazed at the blessings that come your way.

And it just keeps getting better.