And so I begin

I had not intended to begin writing here until the first day of school.  But the child in this story had other ideas.  Today a process began for him and it feels like I should document it a bit as his perception of this decision of ours, to wait for kindergarten, is important to me.  With thirty-four days of summer remaining, the process began in earnest today with a question:

"But WHY do some children go to kindergarten and some children wait?"

Looking down at the child, I can imagine the moments preceding this question, moments spent constructing some wonderful plan for playing with his Two Best Friends, some amazing new game, some fantastic new use of a costume and a Playmobil set.  But afternoon play dates with these Two Best Friends are about to become a thing of the past.  The Two Best Friends are both going on to kindergarten.  

The child leans his head against my shoulder as he asks this question, "Why?"  I feel his body melt into mine and I realize that our discussions about the fall, about how "some five year-olds go to kindergarten and some five year-olds go to preschool" have really meant little.  We are beginning here, now, and with sadness.  

My resolve about this decision melts.  Why indeed?