I don’t know if y’all saw the Staples back-to-school commercial a few years ago advertising school supplies. It’s the end of the summer and the dad is dancing down the aisles of school supplies to the tune of “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” He’s thrilled about the kids heading back to school while his children are none too happy! It made me chuckle, and I still think of it when this time of year rolls around. The joy of the parents to have the kids off their hands and the misery of the kids to be back in desks no longer enjoying the lazy whims of summer is a cycle that has been going on for generations.
For a barefoot beach girl, going back to school was not that exciting a proposition, but buying those school supplies did help lift my spirits…the smell of new pencils, the crayon box with each crayon tip in the perfect shape, and the lined pages of a fresh notebook waiting for the ink of my new pen and the shape of my thoughts and dreams to grace them.
The back-to-school season even now symbolizes for me a fresh start—books to be read, new things to learn and friends to meet, a blank notebook ready for its pages to be filled, and even if it’s still pretty hot in these parts, the knowledge that fall is on its way with leaves turning colors, sweaters to wear, and warm gumbo, soups, and chili to savor. And football too, of course.
Summer is always fun, and for many of us, it is the most wonderful time of the year, but the back-to-school season isn’t all bad either. Here’s to a fresh notebook full of new ideas and exciting plans!
What’s on your agenda to conquer this season?
