A curious thing happens in the Northeast, regardless of the weather, and that is it becomes officially fall the day after Labor Day.

Today we are lucky that it is very cool outside (Jack even asked for a jacket this morning. Fun fact: Did you know Jack is actually short for “Master’s Golf Green Jacket?” We love sports!).

Anyway, the onset of (fake) fall means only one thing: we’re headed back to school. So this issue of JackJams is a bit different, because I am in fact reposting something I wrote a few days ago that I feel encapsulates how we are feeling and how we got here. It’s an ode to Jack’s caregiver of the last 3 years, Nana. Then I’ll wrap it up with some hopeful thoughts for this year.

As always, thanks for reading WHATEVER this is. I’m glad to say it is a true reflection of myself, in that its meaning and format and even word count varies wildly week for week.

Here we go.

Thank you, Nana.

I’ve been very lucky in my life to be surrounded by truly fantastic women. Smart, tenacious, caring, confident, powerful women.

And as luck would have it, two of those women are both named Nana (at least to me). One, of course, was my grandmother. And the other is Jack’s caregiver for the last three years. Today is her last day with us before she heads off to another very lucky family.

No other person but my wife has had a more profound impact on Jack, and therefore me, than Nana. Ever wondered if it’s nature or nurture? Because of her, I know the answer is both.

She came to us when we were new in town, in an old, sort-of broken house, with a baby who didn’t sleep. She has seen us fight, love, fart, cry, exercise, cook, spill stuff and work every single day—and still she loves us and Jack.

When I married Reagan, everyone said, “Oh bless your heart that’s gonna be hard.” But that was Reagan’s choice. Amanda just ended up here, and when I was sarcastic or floppy or terse, she still loved me and laughed with me and distracted Jack so he still thought I was an unflappable super hero.

She was there the day I got laid off, the day I got a new job, the day I found out I had to quit my current job, the day we enrolled Jack in a new school, the day we knew we’d have to say goodbye.

So when we sent Jack off to daycare last week and just, like, left him in a strange place with strangers, we knew he would be ok because of what Nana has taught him. In her world, everyone is a friend, everyone is valued and everyone has something special about them. Now Jack sees a world with infinite friends and infinite fun.

The luckiest thing to happen to Jack (other than his mother, once again) was welcoming Nana into our lives.

For the first time since moving to the northeast over a decade ago, we have family just a phone call away.

_{Nana likes country music, so I bet she likes this song!}

Let’s make it a good one.

Now seems like a good time to put some good out there and write down a few positive predictions for the new school year.

1.) Jack learns Spanish and French, but only the cuss words.

2.) I stop reading books like “1984,” “Animal Farm,” and “The Dictator’s Handbook” because something good has happened politically.

3.) Reagan once again gets reposted by Alison Roman and we become influencers once and for all and sell green juice and call ourselves “low maintenance yet classy.”

4.) We finally catch, kill, and barbecue whatever is making holes in our side yard.

5.) We celebrate Thanksgiving on the Jersey Shore (this is real) and meet Snooki (could be real).

6.) We all learn and grow and laugh and make it to 2025 stronger and sillier than ever.

That’s it.

I truly hope this school year is the best yet. Yes there are lunches to make and new/weird parents to navigate, and yes some mornings you are leaving the house with a kid who’s wearing two different shoes. But isn’t it fun most of the time? Aren’t they so funny?

Let’s try to focus on that this year. And remember that the reason we are all parents or becoming parents or hoping to become parents (sending love and strength) is that we are trying to make the world a better place than we found it by helping to shape the future. Even if “the future” will only go to the bathroom before a nap if you bribe them with ice cream.

See you next week.