Friday, September 25, 2026
57.0°F
Gracelyn Schmalz, age 4, on the first day of preschool, Sept. 11, 2012.

Stories this photo appears in:

A moment of reflection: 12 lessons from 12 years
May 9, 2026 1 a.m.

A moment of reflection: 12 lessons from 12 years

I still remember sitting at my little desk as a kindergartener stacking blocks, thinking that having 12 years left in school was an eternity. As I stand on the doorstep of my high school graduation, I realize that “eternity” has whizzed by.