“The pain, uncertainty and fear, and the realization of our own limitations brought on by the pandemic have only made it all the more urgent that we rethink our styles of life, our relationships, the organization of our societies and, above all, the meaning of our existence.” Pope Francis

The words of Pope Francis (from Fratelli Tutti) and the picture of this passage I pulled from Twitter a while back capture the range of emotions so many of us find ourselves swimming in these days. Trying to articulate the surreal nature of last week’s riots at our nation’s Capitol to our children provided just the latest parenting hurdle for my wife and me. So we pretended like we knew what we were doing, admitted when we didn’t, and leaned into the conversation. Modeling vulnerability and healthy dialogue is so important to us as parents.

My meeting with school leaders this week captured the intensity of this whole pandemic and its impact upon young people. Concerns around the perceived “achievement gap” expanded into rightful worry about youth, their mental health, and their self-esteem. I am grateful to belong to a community of educators who keep students as our central focus.

Yesterday during 4^th grade religion, I was helping my son understand The Lord’s Prayer. Concepts like respecting God’s name, asking for God’s help, and supporting the Kingdom of God here on earth were helpful reminders. Teaching elementary school catechetics is a great reward.

I hope that you too can find your regular rewards in your day to day life. May God bless you and yours throughout this week ahead. Stay safe and healthy.