Even with my three kiddos in college and two others already graduated college, this time of year gets me nostalgic. I remember looking forward to school starting in the fall and then missing my children by October, ready for winter break. Then ready to send them back in the spring. A few weeks later, counting the days until summer break only (after 4th of July) to start counting the days again for school to restart in the fall.

I no longer rush out to buy school supplies. My mom used to buy out Walmart of every notebook, pencils, loose leaf paper, note cards, construction paper, safety scissors, mini staplers, you name it, she bought it. For years we had an entire closet plus more devoted to enough school supplies to take care of every student in our school system. Regardless of how much we still had in storage, she bought more every year. We donated an SUV filled with supplies after my mom passed in 2023.

Now school starting back means outlays of large sums of cash for college tuition, housing and apartment leases, and silently praying to be invited for Parents Weekend.

This is how I feel dropping off my baby girl for her sophomore year in college:

All this to say that I empathize with all the parents out there sending kids to school (no matter what their age). It's a crazy mixture of emotions. Also, to the children...Go out there and conquer the world!

HAPPY BACK TO SCHOOL!