A new year.

This morning, my Facebook news feed was flooded with children posing for their first day of school pictures...some under duress and clearly being manipulated with promises for ice cream or money, yet others willingly smiling for the camera. It took me back to memories of my first days of school. Only I never had my picture taken. Thank goodness. But you better believe I planned my first day outfit for a week.

Starting a new school year has always been a pretty big deal to me. While I liked summer break, I loved school. (I always wanted summer break to last about a month, as long as it took me to visit my grandparents, and then I was fine going back.) I think one of the reasons was because school was an outlet for me. I did well. I was kiiiiiiind of a teacher's pet. I liked seeing my friends. And school helped me focus on something other than the stress of my family life.

I also liked starting a new school year because everything was new. New books. New classes. New teachers. And like Rilke's quote above says, it's full of things that have never been. It's a chance to learn new things. There's a challenge to figure things out that you've never experienced before. Math problems. Science experiments. Pronouncing words that you've never seen before. Think about it... as an adult, can you remember the last time you experienced something for the first time? When was the last time that you had a "light bulb moment"?

I'm actually kind of jealous that I can't be in the classroom right now learning something new today. I want that feeling.