Kindergarten Letter

Every year on the first day of school, I'm going to write my kids a letter and give it to them when they go to college. Today, we started kindergarten for our oldest at home. Here's her kindergarten letter. 

Dear Daughter,

Today was your first day of Kindergarten. I found myself surprised that I was in some way mourning the end of your early childhood years. Years, I know we can’t ever get back, and years full of so many good memories. I can’t dwell on that for too long because the future is full of so much for you and it makes me so excited to think about what’s to come.

I have a very vivid memory, 5 years ago in the hospital after you were born. Sometime after the chaos ended, everybody left, and I stopped puking, it was just you and me. I remember looking down at you and you starring right back up at me (as you frequently did) and all I could think was, “I wonder what she’s going to be like.” Would you be funny? Shy? Outgoing? Friendly? Would you like animals? Dancing? Singing? Drawing? In that moment I thought about sending you off to your first day of Kindergarten. If you haven’t learned by now, you will soon know that hardly anything in life turns out the way you expected. You see today there were no goodbyes. There was no kiss good-luck. No final “I love you.” No nervous glance back responded with a gentle nod and smile to reassure everything would be just fine. There was no “I’m thinking of you” note in your lunch box. I didn’t spend my day praying you’d make a good friend or a good friend for you. There was no “I wonder how she’s doing.” There was no “Tell me all about it, and don’t leave out a single thing” after picking you up. Nope. Today was nothing like I had imagined your first day of kindergarten would be. It was SO much better.

Today, I witnessed every time your face lit up. I saw the light bulb go off when you realized how far away your Uncle lives while looking at a map. I know it took you six times writing the number 2 backwards before you got it right. I know you love having your own space, your own notebooks, you own pencils. I know you take pride in those things. I know you like to teach your little brother and sister what you know. I know exactly that your first day of kindergarten was like, because today was my first day as your kindergarten teacher!

I’m so excited for this year. I don’t know how long you’ll be homeschooled but I hope you will always treasure this time at home. I pray God’s grace will be with both of us as we figure this adventure out together. I know you’ll LEARN many new things this year, but from the deepest part of my heart I hope you’ll always just KNOW how much I love you.

I love you,

                        Mom