Life has been surreal this past week. I missed Saturday’s post, and I am late with tonight’s post, but life happens.

So, for my seasoned readers, you know I like to have Ketchup (or Catch Up) posts, not mustard posts.

Here we go…

Today was surreal. The past few days have been surreal. As my boys and I visited my parents in Illinois last week for spring break, life got weirder and weirder each day. On our drive down there, our Governor closed schools for 2 weeks so that teachers could figure out how to move classes online, plus, it is also spring break time, so many of us had one of those weeks “off” (if you can call it that—I had a really hard time being in the moment with my family with the news clobbering us and with all the anxiety I was feeling about online distance learning. It wasn’t my most “restful” spring break. (I have had the pleasure of having MANY restful breaks at home in IL for YEARS!)

Today, we returned to school… as a staff…practicing social distancing of course. (Who even knew of that word a week ago?!). I walked into the building I’ve called “home” for the past 21 years and was greeted with “Social Distancing – Stay 6 feet apart” and “No more than three people can be in this room at a time. Practice social distancing.” Reality hit. Hard.

As my colleagues met online with our principal, reality set in even more. As I walked down the hall, people skirted to the walls as they passed in the hallway. As any of us moved throughout the building, people moved away.

Wow.

It was such a hard day on so many levels. I could type for hours about all of that.

I really struggle with our kids…my students…our students. The kids who come to school for some structure and routine in their lives. The kids who stop in my room to say HI just to make a connection. The kids who misbehave, using their behavior to show you that things are not ok with them. The kids who only have school to socialize with friends in person. The kids who struggle with academics but thrive on the social pieces of school. The kid who needs that adult approval to keep them grounded and on-track.

I couldn’t post on Saturday either as my mind just couldn’t wrap around the word “Wilderness.” As I drove the 6 hour drive from IL to MN that day, I kept looking all around me and saying in my head, “Yep, this is all wilderness right now!” No one knows who is carrying this virus. No one knows where the virus is hiding out. It’s like walking a land mine entering a grocery store, pumping gas, or getting the mail.

When I finally got home, I was spent from all the thinking I did while I was driving. I couldn’t write. I was paralyzed.

Life as we know it is different.

Life as our kids knew it is so altered.

It is so unsettling.

Today’s word is “Story.” I have written before about how I teach my kids “You don’t know their story…” whenever I hear them make judgements or comments.

As we get ready for distance learning, we were reminded to have an open mind. We can’t overwhelm our students. We need to be mindful if students aren’t engaging online. Is it because someone in the family is sick? Is it because they are watching their siblings during the day? Is it because their family doesn’t have internet? Is it because their family is in crisis as a parent lost a job during this crazy insane time in our world? We don’t know their stories. We need to be mindful and aware so we can intervene and offer help to the students and their families.

Now as much as ever.

So, look around you next time your mind throws a quick judgement into it. We don’t know other people’s stories. And that’s a problem. Stories are what link us togteher and connect us. Stories are connections. Stories build empathy. Stories help humanity. Stories let s help others. Stories are what bind us together.

I snapped this sad picture tonight as I left school. I texted it to my principal and the other teacher who was still at work. “Social Distancing even in the school parking lot. #gohome. #stayhealthy”

Sadly, this is part of our story right now…

and it’s ok.

We just have to keep checking in with others and talking… be creative on how you can do that! Maybe facetime a friend instead of calling. Maybe take a walk down your street and wave to people. Maybe send a text to someone you are thinking about….or * gasp* send a letter or an email.

It’s ok to not be ok right now.

And for that I continue to pray.