back to school 2015

back to school. the turning of a page, closing one chapter and beginning a brand new one. this page seems particularly difficult to turn, probably because we had an amazing summer. i'll write more about that later, but summer at our house was full and vibrant and i can't blame my boys for not really wanting it to end.

but whether they wanted it to end or not, it has. and even though they don't realize it yet, the page has turned to a new chapter that will be full of adventure and discovery and learning new things and hopefully doing some things they never thought they could do.

i love the first day of school. sharpened pencils. the smell of textbooks. empty notebooks, and wondering what will fill them. the untold story of what i will learn, and how it will fit into my life. the untapped potential still wrapped in cellophane inside me, just waiting to be unwrapped and sharpened.

i want my kids to feel the same. i want them to continue to discover the wonder of books and the joy of understanding. i want them to do more than pass tests and memorize information. i want them to discover life and Truth and God and wonder and mystery in facts, in processes, in their classmates, in new ideas, and in every mundane moment of the school year. i also want them to savor the taste of chocolate milk from a cardboard container. and the smell of a freshly sharpened number 2 pencil.

that's my prayer today, and for the months ahead. for learning. for growing. for discovering. for adventuring. for working hard. for loving it. and for living fully right through it.

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happiness is dry underwear

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the unlikely orange

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