It’s so wonderful to be back to the world of teaching. It’s as if education itself was hijacked for two years. Nothing felt secure or wholesome. So much was just making do to get us past the next wave of outbreak.  But in that wake of intense uncertainty this year already seems particularly sweet. 

I see the silver linings left behind from those dismal pandemic clouds. There’s the silver lining of nothing seeming too hard – because last year it felt that way all the time. There’s also the silver lining of knowing what truly matters – for a while it was mirky, whether it was washing down desks or giving a much needed hug. Anyway, I hope you get my point. Covid did clarify a lot of things, namely the importance of connection. Live or virtual, it was truly what held us all together. 

This year feels special. We have bonded as a community and even in a way as a world. We are all survivors of something very hard. But that’s nothing new. Life itself is hard. Once you realize how important the people around you are, life becomes less hard. 

So the biggest silver lining is the gift of gratitude. This year my heart is filled with it. In that expansiveness, I feel I have so much more room. I have an abundance of teaching energy left in me; it’s untapped, and I can’t wait to let it out. 

To parents: thank you so much for the gift of your precious children. They make me better in every possible way.