Twas the night before school started and summer was done.
All the Coleman's were sleeping except for the one.
Colleen was up pacing too wired for sleeping,
Just the thought of them gone was enough to start weeping.
This really WAS the way I spent the night before school started. Really no joke.
I wept as I made their lunches with 2 creamy and 1 chunky (rat hairs and all Janet) peanut butter sandwiches.
I wept as I drove Sarah to A-hour seminary at 6:30 and was still weeping at 7:30 when I went back to take her a lunch and to see if she needed to come home and eat breakfast for the 20 minutes before school started. Sarah looked at me and asked "Mom what's wrong with you? Why do you keep crying this morning?" "I had such a great summer with you guys and I will, Sniff, Sniff, miss you"
I wept for the first time in earnest as I took the traditional 1st day of school photos of Joe and John in front of the red post. If you look close you can see tear drops on the lens of the camera. It's not rain its the evidence of my breaking heart.
Joe was fine going to school, but who would help John open his applesauce, tell him what the whistle was for, screw the cap on his water bottle, snap his pants and give him that smile and wink that I gave him.
I wept as I found a place to park the car. I did have to stop weeping so I could give the zit faced High School ditcher on the 1st day a dirty look.
The long walk to room 1 was the longest of my life. I kept my sunglasses on the whole time so I wouldn't embarrass Joe who was not very pleased that I had worn my blue dancing pants (workout shorts) to the school.
The time had come for John to go to 1st grade. Time for the separation. We parted. He went into room 1. I turned my face away. I glanced back one more time but he had turned away already more interested in the voices in the room than the feelings of his own mother.
I slowly walked back to my car not even caring the the ditching pockmarked youth was now joined by an equally unattractive female. It just didn't matter anymore.
I pulled back onto Westwood street. I was now sobbing full out making little hiccup noises and having to wipe my snotty nose on the back of my shaking hand.
It occurred to me that maybe Sarah would need me one last time today so I pulled to the side of the street just under the "No parking 8am to 4pm school day sign. I had no more been stopped for a minute when I was joined by a motorcycle officer complete with mustache and aviator sunglasses. "Maam, you can' t park or stop here". "Th... Than..Thank you" were the only words that would whisper through my quivering lips. The officer then said " I will give you a warning today but tomorrow if you Par...excuse me maam is there a problem you seem to be mighty upset." I straightend quickly. "No problem officer after all today is the 1st day of school and these are
TEARS OF JOY!
of root spray later.
