Ah, I woke up this morning jammed between my children, nursing my newborn and my four year old plastered against my back (he claims he can't sleep any other way). This precious moment in the soft darkness of the early morning hour also tingled with anticipation and excitement. Today is the Last First Day! Later in the morning my wonderful husband, DJ, a.k.a Cinderella Man, will be heading off to the first day of classes of his last semester before he graduates. We dubbed today as the Last First Day. We are on the brink of new chapter in our lives. Being on the last page of the present chapter we can see a fresh new beginning, a new start.
This stretch of the journey has had its difficulties. It was precipitated by the affliction of the Bogey Man: the fight against cancer. While helping Jay fight for his life we built up some sizable debt. When we got back home after his death we struggled to pay this debt. Looking at all of our options we decided that DJ finishing his degree, which would increase his wage earning capabilities, was the best route to take. It was that, or head into bankruptcy, eventually. We sold our house and moved closer to the University where he is now set to finish in May. Living off of financial aid, income from a part-time job, and getting some assistance from the state (which really grates against our pride), we have barely made it. We have had some help from friends and family along the way as well. With all of this help we have eeked by....I mean really eeeeeeeked by. And here we are at the Last First Day.
On the first of the year, I came home from the hospital with a brand new member of our little nest, so sweet and precious, an incredible miracle. Two weeks later DJ begins the last leg of his University journey. CC, my eighteen year old Bluebird is graduating from highschool. The next few months holds the beginning and ending of two phases of life for the House of J. It is like looking from the deck of the ship across the ocean to the mainland after being shipwrecked, rebuilding the boat, setting sail once more, and now, finally coming home. Well, we have set our sails full speed ahead. We have hit rocks, icebergs, encountered squalls and storms of all kinds, and even sea monsters. The rest of the journey will be smooth sailing now because today is the Last First Day and shore is just a breath away. So, I will be waking each day with tingling excitement and anticipation for what lays ahead for the House of J. We are making our dreams come true one step at a time. So, hurray, DJ! It is our Last First Day!
