Sending You Peace & Summer Wishes
SUMMER! We all need 20 of them. At least. 20 Summers for everyone.
There’s really nothing we can add to the noise of takes on this past year, be it from school struggles to the pandemic to gun control to racism or sexism or transphobia...I’ll stop my list there, there’s just been so much.
We know you of all people know it has been a loooooong year(s).
And yet. Have you been getting emails about summer PD? (our list of free ones in case you have the bandwidth, included!) Goals for next year? Meetings already scheduled?? I know I personally can’t imagine most of us are available for anything else in our buckets. So I thought I’d share something non-teaching related during these burnt out, violent times. And not in an everything is cheery way toxic positivity way, but a keeping ourselves afloat and looking for moments of light to reach for as humans type way. So here is —- a few places we find inklings of peace as we wish you peace this summer.
Poetry - Always. I’ve been really enjoying listening and reading The Slowdown with Ada Limón each morning
A read aloud - with someone you love or students. A shared story is such a balm for us. I finished up Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH with my students at the end of the year and we found so much comfort in it.
Music - changes a space on the outside but also what’s rattling in the spaces of our insides. I know music is super personal, but just in case might I suggest Luiz Bonfa or Liniker (one of my all time faves)??
Outside time. This includes: laying outside alone / laying outside with my big dog/ yoga outside/ a walk outside / gardening...outside. You get the point. Gardening has especially been a boon for me, which I suppose makes sense being in the work of celebrating growing. I’m finding I am especially grateful for seeing tangible growth, the quiet, moving my body in all kinds of ways as I heft things around and weed, and the way in which I can make gardening as simple or as convoluted (and nerdy!) as you want. I currently have an obscene amount of poppies everywhere and am big into learning the hummingbirds and bee varieties in my yard.
And finally, I’m sure you totally saw this one coming: A rainbow maker.
Full transparency I absolutely do not work for them and consumption will not, of course, fill our voids. But this rainbow maker has been delighting my family and providing us with moments of being genuinely present, peaceful, and curious together. Sometimes something that makes us in awe of the little intricacies of the world (or the super big ones like stars! Light! The sun!) is grounding in its own right. We’ve been laying down on the bed and watching the rainbows floating around and listening to the light tick of the solar powered gears.. and we daydream/ chat about properties of light/ relax...
Well, most of us. One of our cats goes ham chasing the rainbows. That’s also fun.
That’s it. Sending you inklings of peace wherever you’re finding it. And cheering for you for just being you each day (unrelated to the work you do or anything else). Go you, being you. May some peace be with you this summer.