NO Back to School For Me!

   After 17 years of back to school shopping, getting back packs ready, new clothes, shoes, haircuts ,etc, and dragging 3 kids through 13 years of school each (as a single parent, too!) I am experiencing my 1st year of not having to do "Back to School"! Yippee! The topic is too painful and fresh for Sarah, so I have to contain my happiness and smile in private, and I am stealing moments out of the house away from her to do little happy dances.  I've strolled down the school supply aisles of the stores looking at notebook paper and erasers and pens and taken in the fact that I am not one the mothers with a list in my hand, a stressed look on my face or a pounding headache. HA HA......I have finally arrived. And I mean no disrespect to my friends with younger children ......if you are stressed, tired, etc, you have my full empathy and sympathy. If you enjoy the whole buzz of school stuff, I'm with you - I'm a closet stationery junkie. And I thoroughly enjoyed helping with field trips and class projects, etc. I did a lot of volunteer work in the school and look back fondly on my memories of my time there. So no disrespect.....I am not rubbing anyone's noses in this. I am simply enjoying MY new time of life. It's a freedom thing. I've worked long and hard to get here. Being a single mom for over 16 years and my kids having extra challenges has given me quite the row to hoe, as they say. And I got ripped off this year with not getting to see Sarah graduate. So, I have to take what I can and enjoy the moments that come.  Instead of being sad about this, I'm feeling relieved that we can move on to healing and better things. Putting the official school experience behind us is part of that. Sarah will get her credits and get her diploma, but it will be different. We will celebrate when it happens and make a big deal about it and give her a party.But for now life is about healing.  And for me ....I get to do a little happy dance. Next week when all the moms are getting their kids out the door, I don't have to.I don't have class lists of required supplies and last minute shopping trips for obscure graph paper or expensive calculators "because the teacher says we have to have it" to look forward to.Yippee! I have arrived at last! I am standing in the light at the end of this particular tunnel and it feels good!