It hit me like a load of laundry I forgot in the washing machine overnight – a soggy, slightly depressing realization. This year, there will be no frantic morning rush to find the perfect first-day outfit. No carefully posed picture on the porch, backpack gleaming, a forced-but-sweet smile plastered on my 10-year-old’s face. No nervously excited chatter about new teachers and classmates over the dinner table.
Because this year, school looks…different. Here in Dothan, we’re navigating the world of virtual learning, and while I’m grateful for the ability to keep my son safe and learning, a little pang of sadness hit me today. It’s the little traditions, isn’t it? The milestones marked with tangible memories. And this year, two big ones feel…absent.
The “First Day of School” picture. It’s a rite of passage for so many of us. A visual timestamp of growth, excitement, and maybe just a tiny bit of parental relief. We proudly share them with family and friends, a collective sigh of “they’re back in the classroom!” But this year, my camera roll won’t have that iconic shot. Instead, it will likely be filled with screenshots of Zoom calls and maybe a slightly blurry selfie of us working at the kitchen table.
And then there’s the yearbook. That collection of smiling faces, a tangible record of a school year. Flipping through those pages years later, you remember classmates’ quirky hairstyles, inside jokes, and the general vibe of that particular year. Will there be a yearbook this year? And if so, what will it look like? A grid of tiny video call thumbnails? It just won’t be the same as seeing that slightly awkward, yet somehow perfect, individual portrait of my growing boy.
It feels a little silly to be so hung up on these things, I know. In the grand scheme of things, missing a picture and a yearbook entry isn’t the end of the world. But as a stay-at-home mom, these little moments often become the anchors of our days, the visual markers of our family’s journey.
So, what’s a mom to do? Well, we’re going to create our own memories. Maybe we’ll have a “First Day of Homeschool” photoshoot – complete with comfy clothes and maybe a funny pose with his laptop. Perhaps we’ll put together our own little “Yearbook of 2023-2024: The Homeschool Edition” with drawings, funny anecdotes, and photos from our learning adventures.
It won’t be the same, and that’s okay. We’re all navigating uncharted territory, finding new ways to celebrate and remember. And while I might miss that traditional first-day smile captured on my porch, I know we’ll still be making memories – just in a slightly different frame this year.
What about you? How are you marking the start of this unique school year? Share your ideas in the comments below! We’re all in this together.
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