scribblechic

It happens every summer, a casual trip to the store for something incidental and suddenly I am standing in the middle of cardboard bins overflowing with the trappings of school.  Brightly colored boxes of markers, pencils, paints, notebooks, and folders remind me of the approaching school year.  I look for a few, new, personal touches to tuck into my children’s supplies as tiny expressions of affection stowed away throughout their days.  A folder in their favorite color or unique paper on which to share a hidden message, a small acknowledgment that I thought of them as they reach into their desk, unpack their lunch, or look into their locker for supplies.

I began this when my son was in First Grade.  He pleaded with me to keep him home.  Frustrations with peers created morning goodbyes that were weighted in sadness.  Knowing school days were challenging I began to find ways to let my son know I was thinking of him in my absence.  Messages and sketches tucked into his lunch on paper napkins to lend a smile and mark his progress through his days.

Last summer, in the midst of school preparations my daughter joyfully noted that as a First Grader she would be big enough for her own lunch notes.  I hadn’t realized she was mindful of or even anticipating these sharings.  My son had rarely commented on the small gestures of affection, it was only late in his 5th grade year that I realized he had saved many of his favorites.  The words and images that had begun as a show of support had become cherished.

Standing in a sea of school supplies, memories of years past accompanying the moment as I sought notebooks and folders cast in favorite colors, I reached for a pink package of sticky notes.  Last fall, having watched my children’s backs retreating into their respective classrooms, smiling and wishing them good luck I reached into my purse for my car keys and found a note penned in my daughter’s hand.  I love Mommy on a bright, pink, paper heart reminding me that little gestures of love create immeasurable moments of gratitude.

Tagged: Children, Love, Messages, School