My sweet girls,
As I dropped you off for the first day of school today, I had that moment of overwhelming emotion that has been present since your first day of preschool. There is such a feeling of promise and excitement in the air each year on this day.
I look back on our summer and can’t help but wonder how you will each remember it. This one was full of adventures and travels for us with lots of memorable time spent with our family and friends. I wonder how your summer memories will develop over time and what will stand out most in your mind when you are older.
When you think back to this past summer, I hope you will remember the thrill of exploring a small medieval Italian town full of steep, winding streets with your grandparents, eating the most delicious homemade pasta at every meal.
I hope you still laugh recalling the white-knuckle car ride alongside insane Italian drivers on cliff-side roads leading to a mountain top, thermal mud bath. I pray that you remember watching the shooting stars on the rooftop each night while listening to tales of world travels from our backpacking, globetrotting friends.
Without a doubt, your will proudly recount how you beat the town record for most gelati eaten in one day- an impressive 12! Will you remember how it felt to ride the waves in Nice and the warm feeling that came from the hugs and kisses from your great-grandmother? How about the taste of flaky croissants and the intensity of the stinky cheeses you were brave enough to try?
Please remember the beautiful full moon we were able to see from our bedroom and the feel of the ocean breeze on you each night as you fell asleep. I know you’ll treasure all the fun times you spent with your cousins, aunts and uncles in old homes and new ones, continuously having a blast.
I hope you will remember all these beautiful moments and more. May you always appreciate, enjoy and look forward to each summer vacation. This luxuriously long and carefree period each year is a gift. Like most things in life, you don’t fully realize its worth until you’re working full time and are lucky to get two weeks off at a time! As parents, we get the opportunity to relive and recreate summer vacations for you and with you.
My hope for you is that this summer inspired you to travel as much as possible in life, to seek out people, places and experiences that are different from you; to be open-minded, curious and respectful human beings. I hope that you are more excited to learn about history and cultures, to try new foods and have more of an interest in learning different languages. I hope this summer reiterated the importance of spending time with family and friends, as often as possible.
For your dad and I, it was a beautiful summer, full of countless memories and stories. I hope the same will hold true for both of you.
As we all settle into our back-to-school routines, I’m excited for the fresh start that comes with a new school year. I also know that there will be many moments where I will miss the laziness of our summer days and having the two of you all to myself.
As you enter 1st and 3rd grade, I hope you feel re-energized, motivated, and excited. May you make new friends and soak in everything there is to learn during this new school year. Try your best at everything and make an effort even when you don’t feel like it. Don’t be scared to ask for help and be a helper whenever you can. Be the best friend you can possibly be. Stand up for yourself and for others. Be kind. Be sweet. Be safe. Be Happy. And please, always tell us everything about your days, your thoughts and your feelings. We’re more interested than you can possibly imagine.
Remember, when the going gets tough, our next summer vacation is a mere ten months away!
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Prior to becoming a stay at home mom, Mina was an HR Recruiter for years. Now her time is spent happily juggling the demands of two young daughters while trying to expose them to the endless adventures the city has to offer.
The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog contributor’s. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Writers may have conflicts of interest, and their opinions are their own.
