“Sy, something’s missing.”

This sentiment, uttered more than once by more than one this week, tugs. It pulls. It vexes. It delights. It breaks and fills my heart.

We are at last creatures of habit, “reliers” on routine, and when that gets disrupted, we notice. Something’s amiss in room 211 this week. And they, I, we have taken note. Yes, state testing is here, and it has certainly jounced our journey, but there is something else, something more. A hole in our fabric. A gap in our connection. And though it may sound strange to some, I think we miss each other. Oh, we’re still in a room together, but it’s not our room; it’s not our culture; it’s not our community. It’s not us. This is not us.

And “us” has become a beautiful thing. Of all the things we have learned this year, we have learned each other. And in that I think there is a certain, simple beauty. We have painted our canvas with our lives, a sea of smiles mixed with a forest of frowns, our daily palette both bursting and blotted with the brilliant colors of humanity. This is us. It is beautiful. But things of beauty do not last. And that is a darker shade of our humanity. And this week, an omen on the wind whispers, making it clear that this, too, shall come to an end.

Something is missing. As someone–Parker, I think–remarked yesterday, in response to one of his peer’s comments about what’s missing, “What are we gonna do next year?”

Next year.

What are we gonna do next year?

Don’t wanna think about it. This “missing” is hard enough. Gonna just enjoy the beauty of “us” for now.

 

On an another note…

Exciting Opportunity

Wanted to share an upcoming opportunity with you all. I was contacted by the guys from Human Restoration Project in Ohio to do a podcast with them around building relationships with students. I am thrilled to have this opportunity to talk about what I think is my best and most important work. Thrilled. Will keep you updated.

 

Do. Reflect. Do Better.