Today was Ellie's last day of school. Not only did today mark the official beginning of summer for us, it also marked the end of Ellie's days at her Montessori school. I am sad for many reasons, but mostly I am sad for Ellie. She won't be back next year and will never see most of these children again.

I brought the camera to school today and let her roam the playground taking pictures of her classmates before we left. We plan to make a scrapbook from the photos for her to keep forever. But there is a difference between looking at photos and being with your friends every day, and Ellie knows this. As we drove away from her school for the very last time, I looked in the rear view mirror and saw her holding back tears.

She was trying to be brave and not cry, but when I asked her if she wanted me to pull over so I could give her a hug, the tears came. I pulled into a parking lot, climbed into the backseat, and held her while she cried. I cried, too. After about ten minutes, she said she was okay and we drove home. I know she really will be okay, but for today we are both broken-hearted and sad. It's hard to look forward to the promise of summer when all you can think about is what you are leaving behind.