Two Hundred and Seventy Five
275 days.
6,600 hours.
396,000 minutes.
23,760,000 seconds.
Congratulations, Mr. B. You are now officially a first grader.
It’s amazing to look back on a school year and wonder where the time went.
I remember his first day.
He was so eager to go to school.
New shoes.
New backpack.
Nervous.
Excited.
New friends.
A new teacher.
I often wonder what it’s like to be inside the mind of a five-year-old again.
[First Day of Kindergarten]
Fast-forward 275 days, and I now have a six-and-a-half-year-old with two missing front teeth, a smile as big as a banana, a heart that grows bigger every day, and a mind that never seems to stop asking questions.
Seriously—the questions from a six-year-old.
It’s entertaining, exhausting, frustrating, and lovable all at the same time.
For those of you who don’t have children but would like to experience such a phenomenon, let me know. I’d be happy to schedule a playdate and let you participate in some of the most random questions you may ever encounter in your adult life.
[Last Day of Kindergarten]
All joking aside, I have to say that I’m extremely impressed by and proud of my son.
Not simply because he’s my son, but because of everything he accomplished and learned over the past year.
It blows my mind that he began reading books, magazines, articles, billboards, signs—just about anything.
It’s fascinating to watch the gears and wheels turn inside that little head as he determines exactly which questions to ask.
His determination never to stop trying, his desire to learn more, and his willingness to keep asking questions have made me recognize that he isn’t the only one learning.
When I take a step back, I realize that at 33 years old, I may be learning far more from my six-year-old son than I ever imagined.
His motivation, willingness, and quest for more continue to remind me that it’s never too late to learn.
You’re never too old to pick up a book and begin reading something new.
You can always make time to develop and conquer a goal you once had.
If we, as adults, could harness the inner happiness, energy, and spark of life that every five-year-old carries, just imagine what we could do.
If we made time each day to read, talk, and—more importantly—listen to our children, imagine how much brighter their world and ours could become.
As adults, we get caught up in everyday routines that feel like a nonstop roller coaster of chaos. Between adulting, sports, activities, and countless trips to the store, our weekly schedules seem to control us.
Maybe it’s time to go back and start acting like a six-year-old—when minds are fresh, imaginations run wild, perspectives haven’t been shaped by social media, news, and technology, and your main goal in life is simply to go outside, play, and explore.
As I wrap this up, I want to say thank you.
Thank you to my son.
Thank you to his kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Kohl.
This is only the beginning of a lifelong adventure that I hope never ends.
Below are a handful of pictures from the past year. It’s crazy to see how much can change in such a short amount of time.
