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The smell of starch wafted up tickling my nose. I twirled around in my new dress, freshly starched and pressed. I was so excited I could barely sit still to eat the breakfast my mother insisted I eat. The first day of school had finally arrived.
When my brother and sister were ready to go at last, I carefully gathered my school supplies—new pencils; a glorious box of new crayons with forty-six colors; fresh, unused notebooks—and off we trudged. I was flying on the inside but walking, oh so carefully, on the outside.
Those days are long gone, but the memory returns at new beginnings. At the end of summer I longed to see again old friends and meet new books. I truly loved school and learning new stuff.
Oh, don’t get me wrong. Summertime holds special memories for me, too. Warm mud squishing through my toes, ice cream cones bought at the corner store and slowly and luxuriously eaten on the way home, reading book after book under the weeping willows, wading in the creek—well, really an irrigation ditch but creek sounds more romantic, don’t you think?
But, oh, the first day of school… I wonder if my first day in heaven will be like the first day of school. I’m on tiptoes in anticipation—on the inside. On the outside, I’m plodding along doing the daily stuff our lives are made up of. I don’t have a freshly starched new dress hanging in my closet waiting for that day but I’m told I’ll be given a new white robe. I’m looking forward to meeting old friends and family, to new ideas, new places to explore but most of all finally being forever home with my Heavenly Father.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot here on this old earth I enjoy. The purple mountains backed by a rose sunset, brilliant blooms bobbing in the breeze, my grandson drooling on my shoulder, Bible studies where we laugh together and pray together and find nuggets of gold. There’s visiting with old friends and meeting new friends, hugs from my dear hubby, and singing lustily in church praising God.
Great memories to be treasured, but oh, that first day in heaven. I think it’s going to be far better than the first day of school. That will be the greatest day of all.
© Beverly Luke
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