Their eyes were big as we pulled into the parking lot. They grabbed their backpacks and held my hands tightly as we walked into the building.

“Can you stay with me?” Henry asks, as we make our way through the gym to the far side where the first graders sat, waiting.

“No, buddy. I have to take Ivy to her class, and I’m going to stay with her. You’ve done this before.”

A few seconds later, his teacher walks up behind us and greets him the way only teachers can, with kindness and understanding, and a knowing look when our eyes meet.

“Do you want to find some friends to sit by?” she asks him.

“No, I want to sit with you” he responds, taking her hand. And with that, I kiss him on the cheek, tell him he’s going to have a fun day, and hand in hand with Ivy, walk back across the gym.

***************************************************************

The brand new kindergartners are lined up, sitting cross-legged on the floor of the cafeteria while kids eat breakfast on the other side.

She grips my hand tighter as I point out her friends from preschool and ask her if she wants to sit by them.

She doesn’t, but she puts on a brave face.

After a few minutes of standing next to each other behind the line, I squat down and ask her again if she wants to find a place with her classmates. She attempts to sit on my knee, catching me by surprise, and falls to the floor.

Embarrassed, but not hurt, the tears come.

And with that, her brave face has all but disappeared.

We hold hands for a few more minutes while the two kindergarten classes separate. We walk to the far line, behind a friend that she spent all last year with, and the two teachers start taking pictures that I know will end up on the end-of-school slideshow.

We both duck out of the pictures, until her teacher sees the look on her tear-stained face. Asking for her help, she grabs Ivy’s hand and leads her away. Finally, she stands for a picture with a small smile and a boy’s arm around her shoulders and I step back, watching until the lines head off to their first day in their new classroom.

 

Essence of Now