Pineridge Blog

Classes begin this week for most schools.

The first day of school was always one that brought mixed feel-ings. On the one hand I really loved getting all of the new school supplies on the list. I remember the smell of newly sharpened pencils and the cool feel of new spiral notebooks. On the other hand getting the new schedules, syllabi, books and figuring out a new grade bordered on being overwhelming. I worried this was the year that I wouldn’t be able to figure it out. But pretty soon it became routine. What seemed impossible became familiar.

When my own kids were getting ready for the first day of a new school year I felt a mixture of sadness and excitement for them. Each year marked a tangible moment when I could see their growth from the pictures of the first day the previous year. I was glad to see them grow and learn, as well as, just get them out of the house again! But I was sad that the summer was over and that they were growing up.

As I watch the big yellow busses carrying school kids on their first day, I say a prayer for each bus - each driver and each child, as well as the teachers, administrators, counselors, staff and vol-unteers at their schools.

I also remembered that each of us are students called to study the curriculum of love. It takes a lifetime of paying attention to how God loves us into each moment along with the Creation. And it seems that the homework is captured in this poem of
Marian Wright Edelman, who is a parent, grandparent, and the Director of the Children’s Defense Fund:
“God, help me to be honest so my children will learn honesty.

Help me to be kind so my children will learn kindness.
Help me to be faithful so my children will learn faith.
Help me to love so that my children will be loving.”

Jim