Separation Pangs

Woke up with this nursery rhyme ringing in my ears...' The wheels of the bus go round and round' (traditional American folk song of the 1930s that has since evolved with additional lines), a favorite with my grandkids. When they were infants I'd sing to them in my cracked, scratchy voice, hoping to grab their attention while feeding. Hmm...didnt always succeed, with their short attention span. Perhaps if I had a melodious voice, it would have worked!!!

And this came to mind today as my three-year-old grandson joins his new school, a derivative from it.

Wheels of life have come full circle

Today was my grandson's first school day

Traveling in school bus all by himself

With a smile plastered across his face

His parents anxious how would he fare

As is absolutely normal with all parents

Rewinding to those days when 

They were children and their first day..

I cried inside, more than tears they shed

Putting on a brave face for their sake

And couldn't concentrate on work all-day

What if they fell sick, being out of place

They cried every day, for many days

And my heart broke each time 

Had to unwind my hand from theirs

Assuring them all would be fine

School was all about fun and play

Soon they would make forever friends

And future generations will feel the pain

Pangs of separation from their children

First time they venture into a new environment

New school, new teachers, new faces

Riddled with doubts, on tenterhooks 

Till safely arrive home, faces unstained

My mother felt the same, I felt likewise,

Grandson's mom is on edge today

The wheels of the bus, the cycle of

Anxiety will remain unchanged