On the one hand, it's very relieving. We made it through. No more homework, no more neglected classwork, no more tallies, no more science projects... yee-freakin-haw!
On the other hand, it's like, okay, so now what? If there's one thing the school year provides, it's the comfort of structure and routine. So it's stressful in the obvious senses, but calming in its predictability. The summer, on the other hand, while pleasantly wide open with possibility, is not then so predictable, and thereby stressful via that very uncertainty.
So can you believe that Darby's going into fifth grade? I'm am in shock. The fifth grade time period has particular meaning for me. And I can't believe Darby is now at that same point in her life.
It was a year of significant change for me, 1983-84. It was, coincidently enough, the year my mother divorced for the second time (which Darby just went through as well), and the year I moved to Philadelphia (and now we're about to move). I went to three different schools (Darby is about to change schools) in three different states that year. And I met my oldest friend at that time. Because I moved around so much as a youngin', I have no non-family friends of greater longevity. I have very specific (though not all positive) memories from that time in my life. So I'm particularly sensitive to the experience Darby has at this point in her life, because she may be blogging about this time we spend together come 2028. In the very least it's a strange feeling looking back at the parallels between then and now. Very strange.
No comments:
Post a Comment