School Supplies

It’s that time of year again.
Fall clothes are seen on racks in the stores.
Summer clothes, remaining after the season, are now on clearance.
Aisles are set aside for back to school items.

Shelves are filled with folders, binders, and notebooks.
Bins are filled with pens, pencils, and crayons.
Neatly arranged displays have rulers, erasers, pencil sharpeners, and index cards.
Not too far away are backpacks and lunch boxes.

Obviously missing are packs of lined paper.
You can find packs of paper, of course, but it is not prominently displayed.
With computers, the need for paper is minimized.
Some may say that is good for the environment; I find that I am a bit wistful about it.

Gone are the days of writing your homework by hand.
Gone are the days of binders filled with paper on which you took notes in class.
School supply lists have become quite specific.
A certain size binder and a certain type of the notebook is expected.

With my youngest daughter in college, those days of specific school supply lists are gone.
We will do some before school shopping just to replenish supplies and personal items.
I miss the days of the supply list in hand as I wheeled the shopping cart around the store.
I miss the days of shopping with all five children, getting the things they needed.

We used to have to set aside space in the shopping cart for each child.
One had to have notebooks and folders that matched in color in order to stay organized.
Another had to have designs on the folders that reflected their personality.
Piles were set up in the cart so they could easily see if they got everything on their list.

Supply lists often came home with them on the first day of school.
That meant that supply lists came home with every student on the first day of school.
The school supply shin order to have the best choices.

I have been watching mothers with their son or daughter as they shop for college.
I can always tell when this experience is a new one.
Everything imaginable, that would make a dorm room feel like home, is purchased.
The shopping cart gives them away.

A small refrigerator is selected to be picked up at the curb.
Sheets, pillows, a comforter, and blanket throw are in the bottom of the cart.
Trash can, desk lamp, storage bins, hangers, and a folding clothes hamper lay on top.
Towels of assorted sizes are arranged neatly, after the color has been selected.

Mothers with daughters tend to have things a bit more color coordinated.
Mothers with sons do not always have a theme or a color scheme.
I have heard mothers say the same things that I used to say.
Especially on the personal care aisles, since there is quite a lot to purchase.

We have used under bed storage bins that are to be their personal supply closets.
One bin is for extra school supplies.
One bin is for extra personal care items like soap, shampoo, and toothpaste.
The under bed storage bins are helpful, since they can see at a glance what they need.

I can see the excitement in the son or daughter’s eyes as they select items.
I can see the wistfulness in the mother’s eyes as they dutifully push the cart around.
Nothing will be quite the same once they go away to college.
The world has opened up for them beyond the four walls of their home.

Mothers know that this is more than buying supplies.
They will soon be moving that son or daughter into their dorm room.
They will soon be setting up everything they purchased, trying to make it seem like home.
They will soon be saying goodbye, leaving a piece of their heart on that college campus.

I have done this four times before.
Since my youngest daughter will be a college senior this coming year, I do this one more time.
My daughter is ready to be finished.
My daughter is ready to launch.

There is still one more year, as God allows.
There is another year of growth before graduation.
We will do our college shopping soon.
It gets easier in practice; it never gets easier in my heart.

There is so much I could say to the mothers who are shopping with their new college student.
It is not my place.
They have to find their way.
As their children pass from one stage to the next, they are graduating, too.

They are weaning away from elementary school supply lists with crayons and markers.
They are now in the, away from home, territory.
Their son or daughter will not be walking in the door at 3:00 each day.
The room they occupy at home will be very quiet.

I would tell them that their job is not done.
Their job is different, for sure, but it is not done.
They will be a sounding board during late night phone calls.
They will be a confidant when a heart is hurting.

They will be a seamstress and a laundry expert when questions arise.
They will be a cheerleader when a little encouragement is needed.
They will be a doctor for that annoying cough or sore throat.
They will get quite good at diagnosing ailments over the phone.

Their job is not done, but their job has changed.
That is the way it should be.
Their son or daughter is ready to launch.
However, launching cannot be rushed.

In the meantime, they push a shopping cart around a store.
They purchase things that will remind their son or daughter of home.
I would tell the mother that home goes with them.
Home is firmly etched in their heart.

Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. (Luke 2:19)

They are still tethered a bit during the four years they are away at college.
However, each year the tether loosens.
It loosens until finally it is no thicker than a gossamer thread.
The gossamer thread of love and family is strong.

I wonder if I will ever get the chance to tell them?