Favorite Time of Year

Back to school time is definitely one of my favorite times of the year. I really love buying new school supplies. I remember as a kid always doing back to school shopping with my family, particularly with my mom. There is something about new things and the start of a new year. It's exciting.

Living in downtown Olympia, I am only blocks from one local elementary school that serves a large portion of our homeless students. Several years ago I realized that they don't get that same experience. Typically these students do not get the opportunity to go back to school shopping with their mom or even know how it feels to get new school supplies. So now I do my part to make that happen.

Why don't I want to have kids? I don't ever have to want to be put in a position where I am unable to provide for them; where I am unable to do something as simple as provide them with new school supplies for such an important time in their life. No one should have to go without - whether it be school supplies, or clothes, or food or shelter.

I have no plans of being in that situation myself. But heaven forbid I am, I would never want to make a child go through it with me.