Few days elicit such vivid memories for me as the first day of school; catching up with friends I hadn't seen all summer as a child and then later, as a mom, savoring that first cup of coffee after all my kids had gone. Most of all, however, back-to-school evokes images of a fresh beginning; newly sharpened pencils with virgin erasers and brand-new, unblemished notebooks. Each new year is a rebirth,…