Lana returned to school to finish her last couple of months of 5th grade. Her back-to-school pic this morning had pink flowers in the background for the first time.
At New Seasons this morning, the teller asked Lana if she was glad to be going back and she said yes, then he asked me if I was glad with a knowing smirk, and I said “Oh, sure, it’s been a long year,” and I’m usually happy for time to do whatever I like, but I also made it clear this moment is not just relief at slightly less parenting. It’s also bittersweet because my little gal isn’t around.
Lana and I get along well and have personalities suited to quarantine so while this last year was terrible in many ways, we’ve had worse, and we adapted to the COVID wilderness through carving out ways to connect with others (chat boards, gaming, social media, and Zoom) and exercise (basketball, biking, swinging, and walks).
Also, though, our Mom used to tell us in the days before we left for our first day of school that she felt sad because she’d miss us and she seemed to really mean this every year. Those are the words I want Lana to hear from me, both directly and when I speak to others. My friend Gabe once said I’d never regret time with my family and it’s not like every moment is enjoyable but I find this mostly true. Like 99.87%.
Thank you to the teachers, administrators, and support staff for enduring these transitions and carrying us back toward a standard routine. Thank you to the parents who for whom this year was…intense. I’m sorry for the pain we’ve suffered, and I hope we all keep healthy and recover quickly.
Later this week, I get my second vax. On to the next era, my friends.