Close to 800 Back-To-School Photos

Back to school brings many images to mind. Living in front of our local educational facility, I watched the flock each September making its way back for another year — by bus and by foot. In more recent years, it was always the glimpses of wee ones, heading to their first day of kindergarten, hands firmly held by moms and/or dads though, that stirred strong memories. Seeing my eldest at five, trekking off down the street, is as vivid a picture today for me as it was then. Fiercely independent, an old soul mature and wise beyond his years, he was determined to do this on his own. To this day, I'm not sure he knows I had his back the whole way. Knowing he was more than ready did make his walk away from being my little boy easier for me. The same could not be said of my feelings about my other kids, however. His younger sister had walked hesitantly beside me to school her first day. While I had worried she might not be quite as keen to leave me, though, once inside s