I have always enjoyed reading and since the pandemic I have sought out news and books to help educate myself about racial inequality, education, and the history of the United States.  I have watched documentaries about the black experience in the United States and about the history of the our country. This article, in particular hit a chord with me. If there is anything you read in this newsletter, read this: Dugnad -One word that spared Norway from COVID-19 Disaster.

My husband and I purchased Disney+ this month so that we could watch Hamilton.  I loved it!  The production is with the original cast and it was superb.  If you haven’t had the opportunity to see it on stage, I would encourage you to stream Disney+ for a month and watch it with your children.  There is also an interview on Disney+ with Robin Roberts, along with creator of Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Director, Thomas Kail and members of the original cast along with a history scholar.  It too, offers wonderful perspective from these incredibly talented and bright individuals.  Click here for a glimpse of the interview.

I find that I have become more philosophical during this time and working at finding perspective in this crazy world.  I have certainly become much more politically and socially astute and know clearly where I stand on issues.

If there is one thing that I know for certain is that there will always be some level of uncertainty and chaos in our lives. The older I get the more I realize I have very little control over anything, so my ability to adapt is necessary.  In my last newsletter I included a link to an article about developing resiliency in our kids.  Each day it becomes more apparent that one of the most important skills children and teens need to develop is the ability to adapt and be resilient in the face of uncertainty and constant change.

We as parents want to protect our kids and have them return to, and live a “normal healthy life.”  Today’s reality is there is no such thing as “normal.”  That statement reminds me that one of my mentors, early in my career, used to always say:  “normal is overrated.”  From her perspective, while mentoring me and others, the goal was not to “fit in and live a normal life” it was to “be who we are and to live an extraordinary life” (whatever that was for each of us).  That perspective has fueled me ever since.

I imagine that many of you are struggling with decisions about school.  Do you have your kids participate in on-line classes or in-person classroom or a combination of both?  There are pros and cons to both experiences and the question these days really is:  is it safe for students to return to the classroom?   Some students will thrive with on-line education and others will not.  Students that tend to be more introverted may very well enjoy being able to go to school on-line, while an extroverted student may struggle with trying to learn via zoom and through a computer screen.  In my conversations with parents and grandparents I have heard different perspectives. One grandmother said that her grandchild was going to be doing on-line school and they were happy about it as they didn’t have to deal with issues like bullying.  So really, it is all about one’s perspective and circumstances.

I recently came across this meme on my social media feed and I have to agree, education is one of those systems that needs attention. It has become apparent that classrooms and teachers are needed for far more than educating students.