Yesterday was the last day of school. There were a few tearful goodbyes from friends who were moving onto new schools in the fall, a little sadness knowing it would be September before some of the friends were seen next but mostly, it was a beautiful, sunny day and a reason to celebrate another great school year.

When we arrived home, I unpacked the girls’ backpacks for the last time for a couple of months. I was so relieved to put away lunch bags not having to worry about creatively filling them with re-usable containers, most of which had cracks that would leak cantaloupe juice onto a soon-to-be-soggy sandwich wrap. I ran out of inventive ideas to prep and pack lunches around November so this shelving of bags was pure victory for me.

I shook Ellie’s backpack outside after I had emptied her collection of kindergarten crafts, art and cards from friends and a selection of photos taken of her throughout the school year with price tags affixed to the front.

I began to empty Hanna’s lunch bag knowing this would be the last time in a while I would hand her a container of carrots she had returned home with and force her to eat them before she could snack on anything else when I felt something sharp in her backpack.

“Mom, I brought home the jar of caramel sauce we used from our ice cream sundaes.”

You sure did Hanna. You sure did.

The glass shards from the container managed to find homes in every pocket, pencil crayon and spare sock in the bag.

I thought about scrubbing the sauce, carefully scraping the glass, piece by piece and salvaging what I could. (of the backpack, not of the sauce….although)

I reflected on the permission slips, the worn erasers, the grass-stained knees, the test days, the talent shows of another year as I happily tossed the deliciously sticky bag in the garbage.

To new beginnings!