Tears of both sadness and joy!
We had decided to send Jake to the public school that offers different pathways for education, trade experiences and opportunities for apprenticeships. But that meant he would be leaving the school system he was previously in, as well as the small group of peers that he had been in classes with since JK.
So that made starting school this fall extra challenging, not to mention the fact that he had not been in a school setting consistently since January.
The night before the grade 9 orientation was a stressful one, with worries of what do, where to go, fear of the unknown etc. Luckily, every kid in grade 9 is in the same position, no one knows what the heck is going on or what to expect. Except, as Jake pointed out, every other kid does not have anxiety or have pcs. Point taken.
So it was with those worries that he was dropped off at school with all the other grade 9s, very close to having a panic attack, but holding it together enough to be able to cope and get out of the car. And there I sat for a minute, my heart breaking that it was so hard for him and wondering if we would ever get past this point. Until I realized that I looked like a parent who was sad to see their little one growing up and starting high school....so far from the truth behind my tears.
But, even with his anxiousness about the day, Jake did it, and felt good about it after. Apparently it was boring, but not that bad. He did it, just like we had been telling him that he could!
And then the first day of actual school came after that long Labour Day weekend. Jake got up, got himself ready, and went to school. He came home saying it was "good" and that even though it was a long day he would get used to it. That night the tears of joy flowed, knowing that even though his battle with PCS and anxiety is not over yet, we are taking huge steps forward and are in a much better place than we were last spring.
