Opening up and letting go

So I have 13 new fourth graders as of today. At 8:15 this morning I was required to open up my classroom and heart to 13 young and impressionable hearts. This is my second year teaching, so I've seen these first day jitters one time before. I knew this year was going to be different and a little more of a challenge, but today was a different kind of challenge than what I expected. I really missed my kids from last year. It was so good to see them. I loved their smiles and hugs and voices...it was all so familiar and fun. Sometimes during the day I would think about them right next door, behind the folding curtain...what were they doing? were they having fun? did they miss me? Sounds silly, right? So all in all, I learned today that it's hard to let go and open up. At every new beginning it's hard to see the end turning out to be as good as what came before. That has proven itself in so many areas of my life. I hold these truths to be self-evident: beginnings are scary, endings are usually amazing, it's the middle that makes you who you are. It's the middle where life happens. So I'm embrassing life. From Day 2 until the day before the end, I'm ebrassing the middle. I'm looking forward to getting to know my new kids, growing relationships with them, winning their hearts, and having fun. Praise God for the middle. Herein lies the growth, the life-changing struggles, the mountain-top days of praise. Thanks God for a new year.