This August, my boys joined other kids across the country in returning to school. This year is not like prior first days of school: parents, students, teachers, and administrators are returning from a long hiatus and attempting to make the learning environment safe and productive.

I have taken this time to reflect back on my experiences of returning to school. As a young student, I relished the new beginning and fresh start. I enjoyed shopping with my parents for all the back-to-school accoutrements, including a new backpack, a huge pack of crayons (the bigger the better), folders splashed with photos of my favorite sports teams, and packages of mechanical pencils. Shopping for clothes was much less fun, as my parents’ bargain-hunting tendencies were always at odds with my desire to wear the “cool” brands of clothes that would allow me to fit in.

My boys need a fresh start and a return to normalcy—or, at least, a “new normal.” Regardless of what happened last school year, they now have the opportunity to begin again, make new friends, learn new skills, and develop as individuals.

This is a perfect chance for all of us to get a fresh start. Even if we’re not in school ourselves, and even if we’re still experiencing the challenges of COVID-19, we should give ourselves the opportunity to make personal resolutions.

I’m not yet set on my list of fall resolutions, but flexibility is good! For now, I’m going to take a justice and political philosophy course and work on writing stories as a means of stress relief.

Do you want to join me in starting anew? There’s no need to wait for a “magical” date, such as January 1 or when we have the COVID-19 vaccine available. We can start any time we choose!