First Days....

I had a nice moment this morning on the front porch. Sitting in the porch swing with a mug of coffee in my hand, I watched the school buses load children for the first day of school. As I waved to the bus, I was flooded with memories of many "first days" from years gone by.

There was the first day for my kids, Jessica and Noel when Jessica was three and Noel was six. Noel was off to first grade with his new knapsack (before the days of book bags) and Jessica getting ready for pre-school, had her favorite toy, a peg board and hammer, proudly in hand as they posed for one of my favorite pictures of them on the front step. Jessica looks proudly at Noel and Noel leans his head towards Jessica, the excitement and anticipation bursting from both of them. The picture hangs on the wall above my desk.

My wife, Karen, just left for her first day of school. It's her 36th "first day" as a teacher. I'm putting the finishing touches on a "Beginning the Year" workshop I'll be presenting for the Roanoke City Schools and reflecting on how my job has changed. I'm enjoying that I'm still involved but now able to go to work in barefeet, t shirt and shorts, sit on the front porch and wave the kids goodbye, drink a couple of mugs of coffee, and write lesson plans for one day of class.


First days....