Welp, what a year.
The 2020–2021 school year is finally/already coming to a close.
Perhaps much like yours, my t(w)eenagers really went through a lot — and I don’t just mean the whole pandemic thing, though that definitely was a contributing factor! For the most part, they weathered these storms (some of them quite literal…) with grace and grit.
Even though you don’t know the specifics, just trust me; it was a lot.
There were no honor roll announcements. No special awards. There were missed classes and missed opportunities. There were letdowns and disappointments. There were failed classes and marginal passes.
For a time, just being able to get up and do the bare minimum became a triumph.
We struggled. We cried.
But then we brainstormed. We sought out services and care. We tried and tried again.
This year tested us as individuals and as a family. But, you know what? We made it to the other side. We live(d) to fight another day.
These may not have been the prettiest or best performances of our lives, but we did it.
And I am proud of that — even if we don’t have anything to “show” for it like congratulatory signs in the yard and even though one of my kids had to sit out of the campus-wide award ceremony because they (nearly) failed their classes partway through year during a time of crisis.
I am proud of my kids continuing to show up (metaphorically and materially) even when times were (really) tough.
I am proud and so, so glad that my kids are here, with beating hearts and shining eyes. That life and liveliness is so much more important to me than any external accolades they could accumulate.
I guess all this is to say: If you, or any of your people, (also) struggled through these past months, I see you. You are valid and worthy just as you are. And I, for one, am glad you are here.
