It's Labor Day. If your kids haven't already gone back to school, their first day is likely tomorrow. Which, if conventional wisdom can be believed, means moms and dads across America are celebrating. But is that really true? 
We all remember that classic Staples commercial, where the father romps merrily through the school supply aisle to the tune of "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year." Indeed, for stay-at-home moms and dads, there probably is some relief that the kids won't be underfoot 24-7. But some moms and dads out there have to be a little sad at back-to-school time, right?
It means another summer has ended, that money must be spent on backpacks and No. 2 pencils, that all the fun times with the kids -- sculpting sandcastles at the beach, cheering at Saturday morning swim meets or seeing a matinee of "Wall*E" -- must now be replaced by making sure the homework gets done and changing over the family wardrobe from shorts to (shudder) sweaters.
I don't even have a kid of school-age, but I always feel a little depressed every time I see that first back-to-school ad. If nothing else, it's a stark reminder that time is marching on. And as someone famous once said, "The passing of time is monumentally sucky."
Okay, no one famous ever said that. But I think that statement is both true and enormously insightful. (Go ahead, Barack Obama. Feel free to borrow that one for your next big speech. I'll even let you take the credit.)
Parents of America, I ask you: Is back-to-school a time to rejoice, a time to weep, a time to do a little of both? Or is it a time to read posts like this one and wonder who the heck has time to write crap like this when there's so much to do to get ready for back-to-school, you stupid nitwit blogger? Share your thoughts -- and suggestions about where to purchase a reasonable pack of graph paper (do kids still use graph paper?) -- in the comments section below.
