First day of school

I did it. I just dropped Ella off for her first day of preschool. She is going to a little Lutheran preschool right up the road one morning a week. She did great ... better than her mama, for sure. We have been talking school up all week, and I think she was excited. The reality hit me yesterday about what a monumental step this is. It's not so much the time away from me; she goes to church nursery, childcare at the gym, etc. It's more the symbolism of this first step out into the world to forge her own way, make her own friends, negotiate disappointment, celebrate achievement ... without my constant physical presence. She is a smart, beautiful, sweet, and sassy little girl, and she will do great things in this world, no doubt. It just makes me a bit nostalgiac for the tiny newborn wrapped in a pink blanket. That said, Ella comes from a long line of tough, resilient women who have overcome great roadblocks to thrive. She is made of good stuff ... I can't wait to see how she uses it to make her mark.