Back-to-School

What did you enjoy about going back to school when you were 6-10?

What might have made you a little anxious?

Do you still find some inspiration in the start of a new school year regardless of how long it’s been since you were in school?

We had this prompt and conversation last year (August 24) but it only served as an example of me judging Libby’s response rather than listening: “I liked getting new clothes,” she said, and I thought, “Yuck! Girls!”

So, we tried it again.

“I remember holding onto my dime so I could get ice cream on Fridays,” she started. “Also, I was excited to see what teacher I got and who was in my class.”

“But, I didn’t like being picked last for kick-ball when kids picked the teams.”

(Hmmm . . . that explains a lot. Perhaps that is why I’ve never seen Libby sweat.)

I liked getting organized with school supplies, having that illusion that this year it would last for more than a week.

Libby and I realized that we had both gone to three different schools those first years. So, we had to make new friends. I wonder if we were extroverts before then because we certainly have been since.

Meeting new friends is my favorite memory and that expectation still shapes my life. Many people who are important to me today were people I met at the beginning of a school year. I met Libby the first week of my sophomore year in college. That memory instantly makes me appreciate the life we have enjoyed together.

Even now I wonder who I will meet this fall. Last week Libby and I met a delightful couple at the neighborhood pool, grandparents like us, although they live in England but come for extended stays. Last Sunday, I introduced myself to a new person I had noticed at church. We had a pleasant conversation and would like to talk again.

We often imagine our marriage as a Lego and then ask:
Are we in play or are we lost under a piece of furniture?
What are we building?
Where is our best fit?
Is there space for others?

Are there ways you are inspired by the start of a new school year?

Can you inspire each other?

Mark