two| school ready :: navigating to sea, navigating to shore

Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you, And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

~kahlil gibran~

our children :: the deepest, richest, most rewarding exhausting investment we have ever made. yet, often we feel like we fall short. not because we haven't hovered enough, or sang enough songs, or added enough enriching activities, but because in many ways we see all the trappings of life that they just can't avoid. the failures they have to make. the learning they have to do on their own. from the moment they come into our life, there is also this tension: the moment we have to let them go.

school is a beginning. a beginning and an end. an end to being always at home, safe in the nest we have made for them, but a beginning to their adventures. the life that they will live, with us, and without us.

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There is one thing I want you, as a parent, to remember when you approach the coming school days. Even if you have never flashed a flash card, or drilled letters and numbers into your child's brain, he or she is ready for school; and there is a reason for this. It is your unconditional love for them.  From the moment your child was brought into your family, you have been giving he or she this essential tool, your love, to help them safely navigate the waters of learning. And think of this: Through your love, they have already learned a lot from you!  Whether by birth or adoption, breast-fed or bottle, you have been making choices about how they learn and grow. They are learning discipline by the boundaries you put up to keep them safe, putting band-aids on bruises, cheering their first steps, laughing at their sweet ways.  Remember that our children's brains are growing so quickly in the early years, that merely exposing them to different toys, different textures, different circumstances is encouraging growth and learning.

So as you enter the days ahead, whether it is right around the corner, or years from now, remember your child is loved. Your love for them is the compass that they will hold fast onto in times of turmoil, and rocky seas. It will also be the beacon that guides them home, helps them return to who they are after a storm, and of course, back into our arms at the end of a school day.