Looking Back

Today was the first day of school.  Brand new 7th graders came to me today, all shiny and full of promise.

Last year on this day was a million miles from here.  I did not meet my 7th graders last year on the first day of school.  It was the day we found out for sure that Brian had non-Hodgkins lymphona...his biopsy day.  Instead of telling 7th graders about how our year would be, what we would study, etc.  I had to tell my shiny new husband when he woke up from the surgery that he did have cancer on this day a year ago.

Today Brian is arresting robbery suspects and he's 2 hours late so that he can keep working.  I was so looking forward to telling him about my first day and about my wonderful new kids, but somehow this is the most fitting way I can think of for him to be spending this day. I hope it's the sweetest overtime he's made in awhile.

In nine days, we will be on a plane bound for Australia.  It's our celebratory vacation.  Remission from cancer for 5 months now.  So, I will be away from my students once again at the beginning of the year, but for a much better reason.

So, I will continue to celebrate life...Brian's life, my life, our life.  It's a great day to be alive!