Back to school

Irene is back at school today. Her third "first day to school"

Last one week was busy for us getting new uniforms, boxes and bags (school bag, gym bag, lunch box and bag, snack box and bag, library bag...) shoes, socks.. and today morning, we dropped her to school in the new dress. White full sleeve shirts tucked behind a little pleated blue-green check pinafore, with navy blue socks and black shoes. (She did complain of the long sleeve shirts - I promised to get her short sleeve ones for summer)

It was a crowdy day at Sacred Heart school with the new kids, returning kids and parents all gathered at the nicely named "breezeway" to look at the class list and line up to be "herded" to the classrooms - what they nicely call the "homerooms". No class teachers - only home room teachers.

I still remember sending her to her first ever school - Himawari kodomono ie montessori - two years back, in April. With no Japanese, with no English even (though it would have helped her) I sent her off to school in her bus in front of High Town Shiohama. As she prayed and stepped in, she was very happy saying "bye" and did not notice tears in her dad's eyes. That was the best I could afford for her that time. She discontinued after the school closed for summer holidays and our vacation in India.

Today I was just remembering how God has been planting small seeds for her, how she is able to go to a school which I could never imagine for her.. Today also, as she quickly moved ahead with the row of kids, I could not stop tears filling my eyes.

God, please build her up to be a courageous, confident child, a bold and humble girl and a kind and loving human being. Kindly let us nurture the little thing, the trust that you bestowed upon us in the form of two of the sweetest of your creations.