‘I keep staring at our First Day of School pictures with tears of sorrow and emptiness. I know this is the right thing, but I also know it hurts.’: Mom says ‘our hearts and world are different’

“There he went, walking into his kindergarten year. We were full of hopes and dreams about the year and what it would provide.

The field trips.
The new friends.
The learning.
The memories.

Today, in the midst of a global pandemic, it was announced that the traditional academic school year is over. Students will not return to classrooms. Schools are closed indefinitely.

Our son will not walk back into his kindergarten class.

He won’t get the experiences that are so unique and special to kindergarten and the very first year of elementary.

The introduction to reading and writing.
The problem solving.
The social skills.
The play and the fun and the laughs.

I watched the official announcement, in tears, disheartened.

The world feels so different.

Just like that, his kindergarten year is over.

He walked out of school on a random Thursday, thinking it was just like every other day. Assuming he’d be back the very next day. That wasn’t the case. That night, the world quickly changed.

Walking into the school year we had lots of fears and lots of worries. School closing indefinitely wasn’t one of them.

I keep staring at our ‘First Day of School’ pictures with tears of sorrow and tears of emptiness. I sit here without words to explain this reality.

He will not walk back into his kindergarten class. He will only see his teacher and his friends on a computer screen. They won’t be able to high-five, or hug, or chase each other on the playground. Their kindergarten year is over.

I know this is the right thing.

I also know this is hard and there are many things that will be missed.

I know this is the right thing, and I also know it will hurt.

There he went, walking into kindergarten, without any fear, ready to learn and grow. Months later the world would change so drastically it would rob him of that opportunity.

It will be okay. But it will also hurt.

Today school closed in an unprecedented way and our hearts and the world are different.”

This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Chelsea Ohlemiller of Indianapolis, Indiana. You can follow her journey on Facebook, Instagram, and her blog. Submit your own story here and be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories, and YouTube for our best videos.

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