The Night Before School

  

               Last Friday I wrote some thoughts on becoming a student again. Yes, it’s one week later, and I’m writing about school again. I’ll try not to make it a weekly habit.

                It’s just that I’m writing this to you the night before you’re reading it, and by the time you are reading it, the chalkboard picture will be taken, and my orientation classes will be open for me to take.

                When Ryan came home from work last night, he presented me with a gift bag I didn’t even know was hiding in the house.

                “You can’t go back to school without a present,” he said. Indeed, I cannot. I didn’t know it until that very moment, but indeed, I cannot.

                I sat and (with Lexi’s help) pulled out the sweetest card in which Ryan declared his excitement for and confidence in me as I take this step.

                He’d filled the bag with little school snacks, a pretty coffee mug (which shall be my official learning mug) and a measuring cup. (That last one was because he found a really cool one and we needed it to replace a not-so-cool-one we had.)

                The reality of balancing it all hit me yesterday. It might have been because I had a couple of “please help” requests come in this week, and I started teaching a new Bible study, so I am fairly certain that finding a new rhythm that makes time for all of this is going to take a minute.

                But I also realized what an absolute gift it is to have a husband at my side who believes I can do this. He’ll be cheering me on and filling that coffee cup and probably doing way more than his share of the household chores and Lexi entertainment.

                Today officially begins a new chapter. School is here. Learning always has been, but learning for an audience in addition to myself has arrived.

                Thanks in advance, Ryan, for taking this journey with me. And for fixing all my IT obstacles. We both know that will happen.