Wow!  Of all the articles I've written for the NWV, I have never received the type of emotional responses that I'm getting from people who read my latest article, "School buses and helium balloons."  

I cried as I wrote it.  Then I cried every time I had to go through it again to proofread it.   I knew that I could count on a few of my sappy friends to cry along with me, so I sent the article to them as soon as it was finished.

I did not anticipate how deeply it would hit home to a few of my friends who, up until they read my article, had been suffering alone in their mom-misery! 

They called.  They emailed. 

I wanted to include a few excerpts from these phone calls and emails because it felt so good to smile and laugh at their pain.  LOL!  Sure, I got weepy again, but I did SO love that I made my best friend sob openly at work.

Here's one:  "Awww, I can always count on you for a good cry.  I was a mess on the first day of school.  I started crying at 6:30 a.m. while making her little half a peanut butter sandwich that I knew she would never finish at lunch time.  [......]  I barely made it out of the classroom before I started sobbing out loud.  Time flies by so quickly and you can really never get any of those moments back."

From Florida:  "I was crying so hard I had to hide out in my bathroom so the kids wouldn't see me!"

Another:  Bravo!  Bravo!  *sobbing*   I was just thinking about this, today.....[my oldest daughter is] driving, playing volleyball, working part time....deciding what college she is going away to....um, excuse me?  When did all this happen?.....

 

I cried when I was dropping [my other daughter] off for the first day of school....she seemed so small, compared to the other teens.....*sniff* My freshman.

Another:  B* is a Senior this year and as I was taking her last 1st day of school picture in front of our house I couldn't help but cry knowing that would be her last picture in front of our house. 

From a grandma:  Very well done, Dana.  Yes, you made me cry, too.  AND I HATE TO CRY!

From a man:  Nice article. I like the line about "this isnt for you" (refering to the Dads). But dont think we dads dont think and or consider some of what you wrote of. 

One of my favorites:  Dana, I had many of the feelings, you described in your article, last week. I took my grandkids shopping for school clothes, which brought back many wonderful memories of times gone by. How ironic that you would write about it!

Here's one that's short but sweet:  "man..." 

A funny one:  That is the last thing I need while I am trying to work!!  Somehow puffy, red, teary eyes are not what you want when the boss walks through!  

And finally, from a BTDT (Been There, Done That):  Nice article. Been there and done that and it's good you are preparing yourself now for the empty nest. However, the crying never goes away. There will be graduations, weddings, babies, new jobs, moves to other cities and so much else! Even when they grow up, you'll cry when they cry and you'll laugh when they laugh. Sometimes you'll even cry when they don't!

I also got a phone call from a friend who was still crying and was berating me for writing the article in the same breath she was thanking me.  

WOW!  For the record, I am SO GLAD that I was able to touch a few people with this story.  I had a feeling that I wasn't alone in my sadness on the first day of school, and now I know for sure.

You moms are the greatest!

~d.