One of my first, most distinct happy, happy memories was when I was six years old.
I was eating my very first lunch out of my very first lunchbox, in my first-ever time in the cafeteria, on my very first day of first grade.
And I don’t remember much from that lunch aside from the fact that the most beautiful, most amazing, most fancy and most special hair comb that I had ever seen in my life was in my very own lunchbox.
I remember feeling nervous and excited and worried. I pulled it out of my lunchbox. The comb was a translucent pink, and hanging from it were three or four incredibly delicate, soft, small feathers. And there were beads–white and pink beads. They all hung from a pinkish leather string, all attached to the comb.
I loved it.
I remember reading the simple card from my mom–I think it was an index card–that said something simple, nothing that I remember verbatim but something that conveyed to me that my mom was thinking of me–and that she loved me very much.
I’ll never forget it.
I had the comb for years and years and years and years and every time I saw it, I thought of that day–that day when I felt so grown up and proud, yet so small and sad, at the same time.
Perhaps that’s why I’m all lunchbox-note crazy, but I just know for a fact that the way that note and that very simple gift made me feel I wanted to share with others–especially my own little loves.
Here’s the skinny. . .
- Our Super-Special Kindergarten Lunchbox Love Notes: So yes, I’ve always done my best to send Maddy, Owen, and Cora off to school with some sort of lunchbox love note, but when each of the kids headed off to the wild world of Kindergarten, I sent them with a little something extra special.
For Maddy, it was a fancy ribbon barrette.
I’m sure I was thinking of the one my mom gave me.
For Owen, it was a small license plate with his name on it.
He loves seeing his name on things.
For Cora, it was a simple necklace on a long pink chain. She isn’t always up for things in her hair–but jewelry? She’ll take it just about any day.
And really, along with a very simple, easy-to-read happy first day note, that’s what I put in my new Kindergartner’s lunchboxes.
It’s not about giving the kids gifts–it’s about a little surprise to celebrate this big and exciting step. And to let them know I’m thinking of them.
That’s it–just a little, under the radar tradition for our family–our super-special Kindergarten lunchbox love notes–started by my most amazing, totally incredible, always thoughtful, and absolutely fabulous mom.
Here’s to hoping I can do a half as good of a job raising Maddy, Owen, and Cora as my mama did my sisters and me.
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