Autumn has arrived in eastern PA. The wet leaves stuck on my deck have yellows and reds and the nights are getting colder. I'm in a new place. A grandmother. A new school. A new grade. I'm older.
I like where I am in some ways, but as with gains, losses mean farewell to past loves. I mean, leaves down mean the green canopy at my house that shields us from the highway is over for the year and we'll see those cars buzzing by. A new school means a longer drive...and familiar colleagues I don't see. A new grade fills file boxes with fourth grade materials I can't use anymore. And you know the losses of aging....THAT list is too long...
Being a grandmother (a Gigi, I prefer) has no downsides. I surrender being young and supple for the cozy feel of powder-smelling Maddie clutching my neck or shrieking her babbles in the next room. It's a trade-off I'm glad to make!
Yes, I miss my teacher friends across the river. Nothing will replace them. But like leaf piles and apple cider don't happen unless it's autumn...new friends don't come unless there's a little vacancy in your heart. New students' smiles remind me that the heart of a child is precious even if he isn't as needy as my former kiddos.
Autumn is tugging me to listen to it's value. I'm opening my sunroof tomorrow to let the leaves fill my car!
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