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It is not a mile marker; it is a milestone.

It is not a corner to turn; it is a crossroads.

It is not kindergarten, or teen angst, or a driver’s license, or a first vote, or a first drink, or a rental car, or an age of “something.”

It is all those things rolled into one leading up to this point on the path of sidewinding life.

Life renews now for something grander than before.

Growing pains have vanished while the lines of wisdom gain momentum with exuberant beauty.

It is a midpoint in this thing we call life counting high towards 100.

Always reaching! Always thinking positive!

It is Tin, atomically speaking, when in its solidified pure state reflects as a mirror seeing the reflection of yourself as “fifty-fifty.”

It is golden, a jubilee of life shimmering as the sun rises at dawn.

It is a collection of states, United that is, where every experience in your life happens somewhere, and is tied to a unique, specific place nestled in the photo box in your mind.

Vision and hearing seem to begin a slow decline with shiny spectacles and louder volume as accoutrements to enhance the evolved view of the wonderful world mixed with the sagacity and savvy plucked along the way.

Thirty was denial, Forty was scary, Fifty is freedom.

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Last week, our Kindergartners celebrated the 100th day of school and I wrote this poem for them.

 100 School days…
 A number larger than ones and tens we would say.
 
 Oh, a number so big!
 It even makes us dance a jig.
 
 How much have we learned along the way?
 Many colors like red, blue, green, and even gray.
 
 100 words read by bright light.
 100 words we recognize by sight.
 
 Counting to 100 on the path we stayed.
 How many ten frames is 100, Oops, we will save that for another grade.
 
 100 CVC words such as…c…a…r.
 Sounding it right, makes us all shining stars.
 
 Our teachers provided us all the tools for our brains.
 Where we all have made lots of reading and math gains.
 
 100 School days have passed,
 Always practicing our writing with sky, fence, and grass.
 
 100 School days smarter are we!
 Dancing in celebration with utter glee.
 
 100 School days…Not letting our teachers down.
 Today, proudly wearing our 100 School days crown.