A Bitter-Sweet Day

Posted By: Mom

Today was Landon and Emma's last day of school. Each year, the entire school has a huge party. They dressed up, played silly games, won prizes, opened presents and had lots of laughs.

We've been going there for 4 years now and we've gotten to know them all like family...more importantly, they treat our kids like family. It's always bitter-sweet when the school year ends because the kids are so excited for the summer, but sad to leave their friends and teachers.

After all the excitement, we said our goodbyes and got in the car. I thought I'd cap it off with an ice cream run. As we were driving home, the kids were eating their cones and I looked back and saw Emma's face covered in ice cream and tears. I asked her why she was crying and she told me that she just realized she wouldn't see her teachers again and are going to miss them so much.

I of course thought it was so cute and proceeded to take a picture.

Then tonight I started thinking about it a little more. She was four years old when she started school and went five-days a week. The only people she saw each day over the last nine months (which is a whole lifetime for a kid) were these teachers and her mommy. She would draw pictures for them at night, try to look pretty for them when she got dressed each morning, and talk about them constantly. It must be like losing a family member to her. It must be such a sad thing to think about in her little 5-year old world.

Out of curiosity, I asked Landon (who absolutely adored his teacher) if he was going to miss her and he said, "um, sure". I guess you don't take it as hard when you're seven.