The last night of the summer school holidays

It was a perfect evening, with not a breath of wind (rare for Wellington). The sun’s heat was still present, even as it began to set in the sky.

The warm evening was too much of a temptation to play. It didn’t feel like the night before the first day of a new school year. We knew the pre-school nerves of our middle daughter would stop her from succumbing to sleep for a while anyway; so out we went.

We played at the beach till dusk, momentarily forgetting the reality of school the next day. It was like a moment of summer we never wanted to end; the kind to bottle for a dark, rainy day.

Our recently turned 9 year old daughter, our second born, hugged her younger sister, not quite 5, as the sun sank in the sky. It was a poignant moment, knowing her homeschooling days were coming to an end. The next day she’d embark on a new path – that of joining her oldest sister at school – a path she’d made the decision to walk; but still her heart and mind were riddled with anxiety at the challenges ahead.

The distraction of the sea, the colours of the setting sun, and the warmth of the air definitely helped to soothe her anxiety for that moment.

How wonderful it would be to freeze time. I would have given almost anything to stop the clock and let that moment linger on and on – but then, that moment was so special – because we all knew it was only a moment – and one to treasure in our hearts.