Last week in school

 

 

The song by Michael W. Smith, Friends are Friends Forever, comes to my mind as Amber gears up for her final week in kindergarten. She is six, but has been in this school for four years. Basically she has spent two-thirds of her life there with the same friends and has built up some strong bonds with her fellow (once toddlers, but now) children. The teachers too have been such familiar faces.

Nigel and Shannon too have gone through this phase. But I guess with Amber it is different as she is our youngest and this moment means that all of our kids are going to be out of the Kindergarten phase of life. Things must move on I guess.

She told us earlier in the car that she is sad that she only has a few days left with her friends, and I understand that feeling. She will be leaving her school sanctuary, a safe place where everybody is kind and gentle. Moving on to a bigger world where everything is bigger, strangers lurk everywhere and nobody looks familiar or even friendly. Where are the small chairs and desks, the little bowls of porridge that are served during break time, the crowd of parents standing outside the gates during dismissal time. There will be no outdoor time at the sandpit, water play at the taps or cycling in the tricycles and bikes.

She knows what lies ahead because her elder siblings have been “imparting” nuggets of knowledge to her. That is her advantage. She is actually looking forward to joining her sister in the primary school. She might have dreams of wearing that uniform and lining up during recess, and having to handle money to pay for stuff. She could be looking forward to making new friends and having to stand at assembly while the flag is raised.

Maybe it is just me who is sad that everyone is growing up so quickly. Such are the bitter-sweet moments of life.