A Week of Firsts~~~First Day in a New School

Over at Ma's blog she posted something very very cool. She asked her followers to link their very first blog post. I remember being so excited to post my very first bit of writing here and every day I would write my little heart out only to check and not see an inkling of a comment. I think It took over a month for a comment to appear. Sometimes firsts can be kind of hard.


Anyhoo, This started me thinking of firsts; so that is what this week will be about. Firsts.




Lets start.




First day of school.


The summer had gone by in a flash and I was starting to worry about the first day of school. I was finally entering junior high school and that meant 7th grade.


That also meant a brand new school for me.




A bit of history now.... for many years I was bullied. I don't know why I was targeted. I don't why teachers seemed to be blind to it, but everyday I went to school with the knowledge that "They" were there and that depending on their mood ...well that would determine how my day would go.


would I be tripped?
would my things be stolen and broken?
would there be kicks (under the communal table) so hard that they would leave bruises for weeks? There were times I fought back, but I was completely out numbered.


It was no relief when I graduated 6th grade because I knew that was going to go to one of the  roughest Junior high schools around. Lets just say It had a very bad reputation.


I begged.....yes begged my parents to let me go to private Catholic school. What kid does that?... a kid desperate for an escape.


My Dad agreed, he had heard the rumors of the new school so he was all for me going to Catholic school.


The school year ended and I cherished the summer. It was my time of year. I was free from taunts and fear.
When September rolled around and it was time to get back into school mode my anxiety started again.


I thought " Am I fooling myself? What if this new school is no different? What if I am bullied all over again?"


I was starting this school in 7th grade when most of the students had been there since kindergarten. I would be the outsider yet again.


My Dad took me to my first day of school. I walked in as all the other kids had already sat down after morning prayers.


My skinny little knees were knocking from fright. Sister Mary Francis (not her real name) escorted me into the class. Everything looked foreign to me. Before me was a sea of kids all in the exact same clothes...weird ..I thought.
                           
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Then I noticed something a bit strange.


a little wave coming from a student in the second row......
                        
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It was a friend from My church.




then I saw another little wave...
                        
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another friend from Church




and then another and another.
             
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all together there were five friends from my Church! They were all there! These were the girls that attended Sunday School with me. These were the girls I made communion with and confirmation just the year before. We were all in the choir together!


At lunch we all sat together at the same table and they welcomed me into their group.... and I knew it would all be OK.




There is nothing like seeing a friend in a room full of strangers to set your mind at ease.
                        
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