Show Grace. Be Kind.

Show grace, be kind. It really is that simple. We are all capable. So do it. Be it. Live it.

Nobody really knows anyone else’s struggles. This year has placed an exclamation mark on the previous sentence. And the struggles are now further complicated with the first day of school looming, just hours away. Teachers haven’t seen students in their classrooms in five months. Parents haven’t prepared their children for a school day in five months. Kids haven’t had the social interaction school provides in FIVE. LONG. MONTHS. It all changes tomorrow. Nobody knows what to expect. Nobody knows what will happen next. And nobody knows exactly what the best choice is. We are all just trying to survive here. We’re in this together. Show grace. Be kind.

It seems everyone is at odds lately. Disagreeing about something. The masks. The school year. The public gatherings. The politics. The potential vaccination. It all creates so much indignation and confusion. Perhaps it’s time to come together about something. Let us come together and do our part not to make the start of the school year any more complex than it already will be. Let us try not to judge. Let us try not to shame. Let us try not to take frustrations out on one another. People are, and will be, feeling a plethora of emotions. People will worry. People may feel a certain way one day and another way the next. People will deal with difficulties. People will face challenges. Let us try not to hasten the process. Show grace. Be kind.

Children are ready to see their friends. They’re ready for a little piece of the normal that was taken from them in March. Some of them are just ready for a warm meal and an air conditioned room. Some of them are ready to feel the love of their teachers. Some of them are scared of this virus. Some of them don’t know what to think. Some of them don’t want to wear a mask. Some of them are afraid not to. All of them deserve our patience, love, care, and concern. Show grace. Be kind.

Parents, myself included, want only the best for our babies. We want our children to see and spend time with their classmates again. We want them to enjoy the full experience of school. We want nothing but the best for them. Some of us are also terrified. The possibility they’ll contract the virus causes crippling anxiety for some of us. Some of us have a senior, and we are praying their final year isn’t eventually stolen from them. All parents have had to make their own personal decisions between home school, virtual, in-person, or a combination of the above. Some of us have made the very difficult choice of having their child repeat the previous year. Some are anxious about moving on. We all deserve a pat on the back for doing the best we can. Show grace. Be kind.

Teachers, myself included (again), have their own set of concerns. We are anxious, and worried, a little scared, a little insecure, a little fearful, a lot hopeful. We are worried our content and lessons will get lost in the chaos. We are worried a kid might miss out on crucial curriculum for one reason or another. We are concerned about reaching our virtual kiddos as effectively as we hope to reach the ones in person. We are scared there could be an outbreak. We are fraught with anxiety over so many things, no matter how small they may seem. I keep saying “we” as if I am the voice of all teachers. That is nowhere near my intention. I am only speaking for myself, and any teachers who are feeling these things. We are worried that in these times where there are so many proverbial bases to cover, that a temperature check might not be accurate, a mask will be taken off and not noticed initially, sneezes might become willy-nilly, our rules might confuse and frustrate kids, and mostly that the new rules and regulations are going to prevent us from fully interacting with our babies. They like hugs, they like fist bumps, they like pats on the back, they like not having to stay distanced from the people they spend their days with. And we feel the same. It hurts my heart to know we will be deprived of so much this year. Communicating through masks, they can’t see our smiles, they can’t come to us for hugs or high fives. It is just devastating. We need patience, good vibes, prayer if you’re the praying kind, understanding, common courtesy, goodwill, understanding, and forgiveness. This isn’t going to be a perfect year. Things are going to challenge us. Things are bound to disappoint us. The key is resilience and perseverance. Because this year is also certain to surprise us and bring joy. Together we will make this a great year! We just need to all respect the struggles of others. We are all fighting the same battle, as well as fighting our own separate battles within ourselves. We're all just doing our best. Show grace. Be kind.