A Dose of Grace

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Now that it’s July, back to school season is on everyone’s mind. We have been home with our kids for what seems like an eternity, and we are all wondering what school will look like this year and what is best for our kids. I am a teacher and a parent, and I don’t think I have ever felt more stressed or unsure of what to do in my life. I have cried, been stressed, been angry, been worried, and probably any other emotion you can think of over the past few weeks and months. Do you know what I think the cure is though? A dose of grace. We ALL need to give ourselves and each other a dose of grace in this time.

I watched a FOUR hour governing board meeting last night for my school district, and it slapped me back into reality and took me out of my own head and out of just thinking about myself and my family. Our education leaders are under an extreme amount of pressure right now, and they are navigating uncharted and stormy waters. One governing board member said something that really spoke to me. She said, “I know that we aren’t going to make everyone happy no matter what we do.” Truth! There are no easy answers or solutions, and we are all trying to figure out what is best for our families, students, and our communities. I have the utmost respect and admiration for our district leaders, school leaders, and education association leaders who are making impossible decisions right now. I also have the utmost respect and admiration for my mama friends and all the mamas out there who are trying to choose and do what is best for their babies and their families in the fall.

Our education leaders deserve grace, our friends and families deserve grace, and most importantly we deserve to give ourselves a dose of grace. We are all trying to figure out what school scenario in the fall meets our needs, helps us feel safe, and is best for our kids. All schools and districts seem to be offering a variety of options to help meet families’ needs. Whether you choose to go back to school, a hybrid model, an online model, or even if you choose to homeschool, it’s okay. You do you, and rest in the fact that you are doing what you feel is right for your family.

As an educator myself, I ask that we as a community remember in the fall to continue to give doses of grace to our teachers, education support professionals, principals, district leaders, and anyone else who makes a school run and works with our kids. There are so many unknowns and variables as we head back to school, and these professionals who love our kids are going to be doing the best they can for our students and our communities. May we all remember that we are a community and we are in this together.

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