Jody England

I awoke before 6:00 am on Wednesday morning to get my children up and off to school. Both of them are attending a new building this year as they enter their trepidatious sixth and seventh grade years.It is a mixed bag for them. They are beginning to own their freedom and are excited to make new friends and find their place in the world. Simultaneously they are a bundle of self-consciousness, anxiety, and angst. “Will I get lost? What if no one likes me? What’s my locker combination again?”I am confident in my children’s ability to navigate their experiences and... as a mother, I feel every ounce of their angst… plus my own.Crossing the threshold of the start of school brings a lot forward for all of us.On the surface, most of us handle it like old pros. We buy the clothes and supplies, pack the lunches, arrange the carpool, and drop them off at the door.Some of us relish the transition as it opens more space for us to be with our Selves and “get some stuff done.”You know, "a mother’s work is never done" and a