8-18-14

Mac's middle school debut is officially close: the bus letter came today. 

Sigh. 

This makes me sad on so many levels. 

Middle school?  Really?  How can that be when in my head, I'm still about 24?  

And middle school is full of mean kids. I realize we're in north Arlington, which isn't exactly the 'hood but still. Some of those little rich kids might be bullies. It feels like elementary school might have been more protective of the children whereas these kids will just be thrown to the wolves in middle school. I certainly don't want Mac to be one of the wolves, but I don't want him to be eaten by one either. 

And he's going to ride the big yellow school bus. For the first time in his life. I realize millions of children do this every single day, and he has ridden a bus (really, a van, for all of his overseas schooling) but again, this is a bus with middle schoolers. What if nobody lets him sit next to him?  Or he sits next to a wolf? Who torments him everyday? And makes him not want to go to school?

I realize my default position is to go all Defcon 1 and assume the worst possible outcome. And I do realize I'm doing that right now.  He could get on a great bus where he actually knows some people and where he has a great 2-mile trip to school. He's an easygoing kid who makes friends easily so even if he doesn't know anybody on the bus, I'm sure he can make a friend. And once he gets to school, he knows at least one other friend from last year who's in his home room so he's got somebody to hang with through that awkward entry phase. And wolves never attack if two or more lambs are hanging close together, right?

Here's to hoping all of our children's returns to school are full of good friends, happy learning and no wolves.