The Easy Goodbye
Life is so very simple when you're in kindergarten. It just is.
As I walked into the picnic pavilion, I searched for the familiar crown of bouncy brown curls. All of the kids were wearing their school t-shirts, so there was no easy way to pick Alexis out in the crowd other than her distinctive hair. I finally spotted her at a table, sitting quietly next to her teacher.
I don't know what that means, by the way. The quiet thing. In the midst of a chaotic day of fun and frolic, Alexis was sitting silently right next to her also silent teacher as she waited for me to arrive. I've never witnessed the child sitting quietly next to someone she knows, so it was a moment that stood out. I think it means something. I just don't know what.
Regardless, once I reached Alexis there was a short conversation about whether she could stay at the picnic a little bit longer. Her last day of school was a "field day" (think potato sack races and such) followed by all-school picnic with parents and such. I've been DONE with school for a while, however, so I had no interest in spending several hours sitting with parents and teachers.
It was her last day, though. It was the last time she'll ever see most of the people who were there. I told her we could stay for a little bit.
Realizing that we were going to leave early, her teacher decided to go ahead and grab Alexis' yearbook so she could get a head start on collecting signatures. I watched in awe as Alexis clutched her yearbook tightly and eagerly began dashing to and fro asking classmates to sign their names.
How long does the whole yearbook thing stay that simple? As simple as "Will you sign this?" accompanied by a smile? I don't remember exactly when the yearbook process turns into stress and worries as you hope the person you're asking doesn't find your request out of line and as you hope they write the Right Thing.
Remember reading the little messages signed in yearbooks and trying to interpret exactly what the person meant when they wrote, "Have a nice summer?" She hates me, doesn't she? What about him? Does he like me? Oh my gosh, I think he does.
WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?
In kindergarten, it's still simple. Alexis asked every single person in her class to sign her yearbook and they all did. They carefully signed their names as they smiled and giggled and generally enjoyed their fun day.
It was all very cut and dry, simple and sweet. It was exactly as all things related to kindergarten should be.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Reader Comments (5)
It's amazing how much she has changed in a year. I meant to say something about that on a previous post. I think K-1st grade is a really great age. (I'm also a little wistful as my son is starting HIGH SCHOOL in the fall)
That easy friendship, the unthinking happiness of it all, it always leaves too soon. I hope that gets to stay a little - no, a LOT - longer!
My youngest is moving from Kindergarten to First grade too - "I'm a grader now!" she says :-) She was the type at the end of the year festivities who got caught up signing everyone else's book and forgot about her own. I gently reminded her to "have them sign yours too" but she didn't care too much. Hey, if she didn't care, why should I? Despite the fact that she'll be with the same group of kids next year, the end of Kindy just feels very much like the end of the sweetness. There is still a huge amount of innocence and sweetness for the next 2-3 years, but you can see it slowly diminish. My other daughter (who gets along with most everyone, boys and girls) just finished 3rd grade, and this was the first year she dealt with girls not wanting to be her friend if she was also friends with some other girls (or whatever). She was very stressed by it. We talked about how not everyone has to be friends, but there shouldn't be such conditions on friendship, and everyone needs to respect each others' differences, etc. It seems too early/young to have these issues :-( And my son noticed a difference in his classmate's behavior in 4th grade (jockeying for position, I guess?). I think whatever we dealt with as kids... expect our own kids to face it about 2 years earlier. Which is kinda scary.
i love you my little perfect angel, alexis!!! your so beautiful . You make your nana very happy. i cannot wait to see your yearbook and hear about your friends and your field day! see you in august my grandaughter, my angel
What a lovely last day!