<span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size:medium;">Another summer is about over. Labor Day is less than two weeks away. Fall will officially arrive on September 22</span><sup><span style="font-size:small;">nd</span></sup><span style="font-size:medium;">.</span></span></span><span style="color:#000000;font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:medium;"> </span>

<span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">It's the time of year when this one-time schoolteacher becomes nostalgic.</span></span></span>

<span style="color:#000000;font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:medium;"> <a href="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/back-to-school.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3423" alt="back to school" src="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/back-to-school.jpg?w=300" width="300" height="211" /></a></span>

<span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">I’m not saying I’d want to be back in a classroom again. Not with the challenge of teaching today.</span></span></span><span style="color:#000000;font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:medium;"> </span>

<span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Still, once the back-to-school chatter begins, a part of me misses the excitement of starting a new school year, setting up my classroom, and seeing the eager young faces. The freshness of a new beginning. </span></span></span>

<span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Last Monday, when the dogs and I were out on our daily sunrise walk and spotted a school bus, I swallowed the lump in my throat brought on by my memories.</span></span></span>

<span style="color:#000000;font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:medium;"><a href="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/bus.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-3424" alt="bus" src="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/bus.jpg?w=150" width="150" height="99" /></a></span><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">The three of us paused.</span></span></span>

<span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> <a href="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/walking-dogs-in-taos.jpg"><img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-3425" alt="walking dogs in Taos" src="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/walking-dogs-in-taos.jpg?w=150" width="150" height="84" /></a>I said a prayer that it would be a "really good year" for the bus driver, the kids, and the teacher waiting in the classroom. </span></span></span>

<span style="color:#000000;font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:medium;">May all the</span><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> students, teachers, and staff who began a new school year this week or will be going back-to-school over the next few weeks have a safe and productive new school year.</span></span></span>

<a href="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/welcome-bk-to-school.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3426" alt="welcome bk to school" src="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/welcome-bk-to-school.jpg" width="262" height="192" /></a>

<strong>YOUR TURN:</strong> Do you miss school days?