Back to School

Hurricane Ida truly left her mark here in the Northeast last week. I hope your home and community were spared. 

After the storm, we could feel the seasons start to shift. We had a beautiful weekend of late summer weather—cool brisk mornings burned off by the bright sun in the afternoon. September has arrived!

It’s back-to-school month, and I’m praying kids can attend with little to no interruptions this year. My favorite part of back-to-school is all the school supplies—new binders and dividers, notebook paper, black and white composition books, sharpened yellow Ticonderoga pencils. I love seeing them all in the stores as they always signify for me the excitement of a new school year.

When I went to school, there were no laptops or mechanical pencils; we had blackboards, chalk and erasers. The school smelled so good when we walked in; the floors were so shiny we could see our reflection. It was fun seeing old friends and meeting new ones. I always had butterflies in my stomach as I anticipated meeting my new teacher, and that lasted until junior high school! I especially loved lunch time. The lunch ladies would arrive early in the morning to start cooking our meals from scratch. They were delicious and healthy, and nurtured us for the rest of our day.

Do you have fond memories of the first day of school? Perhaps buying school supplies or choosing the perfect outfit, excitement about learning new things or making new friends? Is September a month that gets you thinking about where you are and where you want to be? As adults, we can still get excited about the new school year whether or not we formally return to school. We’re never too old to learn or set a new goal for ourselves. We can buy school supplies and plan out a year of study and growth. Is there something new you’d like to learn? Can you learn it on your own, or would you like a coach, mentor or teacher? 

To me, September and January go hand-in-hand. Both months give us the opportunity to review, revise and refocus on what we’re doing or would like to do. I’ve been working on my calendar—mapping out my schedule for the remainder of the year and thinking about what’s on the horizon for next year. I’m taking inventory on what I’ve accomplished so far in 2021, and how much I’ll complete before the end of the year. For me, it’s exciting to see where I was, where I am and where I want to go.

September is here! Let’s be students in whatever way we envision and allow our imaginations to come alive!

Spark new ideas.
Cheer for others and yourself.
Hope for a better tomorrow.
One person can make an impact on the world.
Opportunity is knocking.
Lead the way.