Another tragedy. Another senseless act. Another experience that creates fear in our system.
I’m numb. My emotions are all over the place as I begin to wrestle with how do we (adults) support our communities through yet another horrific and vile act of violence?
The answer is, I don’t know.
I don’t know how we can promise it will get better.
I don’t know how we can ease the minds and hearts of students and our families.
I don’t know how we begin to unpack the trauma that this will inflict on our communities.
I don’t know how we have yet another difficult conversation with our communities.
I don’t know how we muster putting on the proverbial “brave face” and push forward.
I don’t know how we reconcile with this being our “normal.”
I don’t know that we can continue to place the moniker of #strong on yet another community.
I don’t know how much longer we can throw the word resilient around and expect it to have the same meaning it once did.
What I know is that our communities deserve grace, patience, and love as we mourn, hurt, cry and be angry.
What I know is that our students deserve to know they are loved, and worthy of love.
What I know is that every day I have an opportunity to put love into the world.
What I know is that I can acknowledge, honor, and validate the complexity of feelings and emotions that will continue to manifest in our communities.
What I know is that through the pain, there is good. Our students, staff, and communities… there still is so much good.
What I know is that educators throughout the country are forgoing lessons and taking opportunities to create a space for processing and reflection.
What I know is that each and every member of our school community (students, adults, educators, community members), need love, and to know they are important.
What I know is that I can continue to monitor my words and actions and continue to commit to a life of creating a world where this no longer causes the “norm.”
What I know is our children need us to put them first. To create conditions, environments, and policies that allow their best interest to be actualized.
What I know is that the world needs a collective hug, and needs time to just be.
Ultimately, there is much more I don’t know than I do know. I write this as I sit in an elementary school preparing for a presentation. I see and hear the laughter and joy of these young people. Let us not take it for granted. Let us build a better world. Let us place love in all of our interactions. Let us be better.
I just don’t know….