For Some, High School Registration Week Is Not the Happiest Time of Summer

I took my sophomore daughter to pick up her textbooks and class schedule, and get her yearbook photo taken at York High School today. The process was smooth as can be.

She signed in, got her ID, posed for her photo, was handed her class schedule and books, and that was it. The whole process took about 15 minutes. We pre-ordered her books online, as did many other families judging by the hundreds of book bags lined up for distribution in the cafeteria. 

Now, I'm not one of those moms who counts the days until the kids go back to school. I love having my daughter home more, staying up late, being able to sleep past 6 a.m., just hanging out, and taking mini-vacations. 

But the start of the school year is exciting. I can't wait for the knowledge to begin pouring into her brain again. And, she's going to learn to drive this year, for crying out loud!

I am reminded that young people in other countries would give their eye teeth for a good education. I'm well aware that education brings opportunity beyond belief. And as I again walk the halls of York, my alma mater, I can't believe how fortunate my daughter is to be able to go to this amazing school, where she can explore her interests in early childhood education, film production, comedy performance and anything else that might stir her soul.

But all she could see as she shuffled through the hallways toward her locker with an extremely heavy bag full of books was that summer is ending. She doesn't realize how fast high school will go, or that she is building a great road toward college and beyond.

She'll figure it out one day, maybe when she has kids of her own and their four years in high school are over in about 5 minutes.

Make the most of it, my dear. Stay awake. Use what is right in front of you while it's there for the taking. These opportunities won't come again.

I'm stealing this from a friend's Facebook post. It seems so appropriate today: 

"Sometimes you won't know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory."