The Healing Process

I was just watching the noon local news and, as all stations are doing, they were covering many aspects of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. As a concerned citizen, I watch intently... I worry, I pray and wonder what I can do to help. And honestly, sometimes I turn it off - as it sometimes just hurts too much. Then I remember how lucky I am, as the victims of the hurricane can't "turn it off". Anyway, as I'm watching the news they present a story on scrapbooking as a means to cope with a tragedy. They featured a woman who lost her house in a tornado and how she scrapbooked pictures of every room of the house that was destroyed and then followed it with pictures of every room of her new house. She explained how it helped her healing process.

I'm dealing with my own little healing process today... the first day of school! I've really been dealing with this for about a week, dreading it more than I thought I would. In theory, I looked at this as an opportunity to do all the things I haven't done while I've been home taking care of my kids... maybe start back at work, exercise more, go grocery shopping in peace, read. I'm sure I will get a chance to do all these things, but today it was about losing what my life has been about for almost 7 years... taking care of my kids. Now my youngest just started pre-school today, so really she's only at school for 7-1/2 hours a week. I'm still with her most of the time. But as my first grader pointed out "Mommy, we'll only be together 5 hours a day!" Ugh, kick me in the gut.

So I did the obligatory first day of school pictures today and my husband was thoughtful enough to take one of me with the girls. That will make for some heavy-duty journaling. Should they know how hard today was for me? Sure! They might not care too much now, but as an adult wouldn't you love to know how your mom or dad felt on your first day of first grade? What they were dealing with when their youngest one finally started school?

And besides, it will help me heal from my own little hurricane.

(Pictures include my pre-schooler with her teacher... my 1st grader at her desk... me being sad but looking happy with my girls!!)