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How to Greet The School Year
The power of preparation versus unbridled excitement
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In Zurich, the school year began again last week.
My son and I were so excited — he’d be in the bigger kids’ group at preschool, transforming from a “Caterpillar” to a “Butterfly,” and armed with more responsibilities. He’d even have special classes just for the bigger kids — two afternoons a week.
When Monday finished, he was full of questions about when his next afternoon of further learning would be.
I was excited too.
Excited to have a few hours to myself to write more (some readers might notice that my writing fell behind over the summer, which I let happen), to return to yoga, and to nurture myself as an individual. All those ingredients, I knew, would fill my cup of joy, and I’d have more to give to my child.
Parental guilt
I was so excited that I forgot to cook for most days last week, subsisting on takeaway orders and food prepared for us at the supermarket. I tried not to let guilt set in that it wasn’t fresh food I was feeding my child most of last week.
