The Sadness of the First Day

Today the angelbaby begins her first day of her last year in elementary school. She is both excited and sad. She doesn't get to have the teacher she wanted, and her best friend in the whole world (you know how those things are with twelve-year olds is in another class altogether. In fact, none of her friends are in her class, or so she said after we took a look at the class lists yesterday.

And to make things worse, there is the whole thing about not getting to have the teacher she really wanted. Who she got was a teacher that has been at the school, not one of the two new teachers they brought in to replace the two they transferred. She has somehow built up in her mind that she isn't going to like this teacher, and she doesn't even really know her.

So, on the way back from school yesterday I talked to her about expectations, and how our world usually lives up to what we expect of it. If we expect that we are going to have a great year; meet new friends, love our teacher, and in general enjoy school that usually happens. If we expect that we are going to hate school, hate our teacher and have no friends in class, that might happen too. I also taught her about what we can and cannot control and how to say The Serenity Prayer I wanted her to know that I wasn't about to go in and make them change her class just because she needed to be with her best friend. I think she needs to give this teacher a chance because I know this teacher, and I personally think this teacher might be a good fit.

This parenting stuff is never a picnic.

I will be praying a few of my own prayers today as I drop her off for her first day. How did my baby get to be in sixth grade? It seems like yesterday I was taking her to her first day of pre-school.

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change . . .

Pax