09/08/2026
First-day-of-school pictures never tell my kids’ whole stories.
They don’t show the school anxiety, learning disabilities, ADHD, autism, FASD, loss, trauma, or mental health struggles they carry.
But neither do any of those labels tell their whole stories.
Every single one of my children is still trying. Still showing up. Still getting back up when life knocks them down.
Some have had to work harder than most ever will. They have experienced more in their early years than any child should have to.
And yet, they keep going.
Personally, I think my children are heroes.
Not because they never struggle, but because they keep trying even when giving up would be easier.
So when I look at first-day-of-school pictures, I don’t just see smiling faces and backpacks.
I see everything it took to get here.
Never give up, my beautiful kids. You have each already overcome so much, and I am so incredibly proud of you.
And if you’re a parent filled with first-day-of-school worry, wondering how your child will fare, I see you.
I’m a little farther along this road now. Two of my children have graduated college, one is still working toward finishing, one starts university today, and one is in a very difficult place in life right now, fighting battles that are painful to witness as a parent.
There is no neat ending here.
Some are thriving. Some are still climbing. Some are finding their way through things I wish I could carry for them.
But none of their stories are over.
They are each finding their own way, in their own time.
