Starting Over

Journal for Christa—

Sometimes you just need to start over. One of my favorite quotations is from Anne of Green Gables. Anne is having a terrible time of it. She has dyed her hair green and most recently broken her slate over the ornery Gilbert Blythe’s head. As she and Miss Stacey, the quintessential teacher, stroll down the lane, Miss Stacey smiles on her and states: “Each day is fresh with no mistakes in it.” I love that.

This is a period of new beginnings for many in my world. Today Breck starts school. Joel starts a new job. Kim will set up housekeeping in their small apartment in Germany. Melody has launched her new online bow business, Melody’s Bowtique. And, last year’s AP students are scattered at various universities across the nation. New beginnings are often adventurous and a little bit scary. Then, sometimes new beginnings are not exciting. They’re caused by pain, illness, or even death. Those beginnings can be really scary, but they too are times we need to start over.

One of the things I like about teaching is that every August I get to start over: new students, new MLA books, a chance to do it better than the year before. I like having a job with an ending and new start each year. Sometimes I just need to start over. Most beginnings are due to a set of circumstances; but some days, like Anne, I’ve made a mess of things. I just need to start over. Maybe that’s why the sun sets each night, so that when a new day dawns, it’s “fresh with no mistakes in it.”