3.5 miles: As most teacher know- days can sometimes be beautiful or rocky within a classroom. Add in virtual technology and trying to teach and you get mostly rocky days. 

And if we aren't careful, sometimes those rocky days make us feel a bit grumpy. Well Thursday was a grumpier day for me. We had some technology kinks, we had some other kinks and just the all around kink of realizing you aren't actually doing your job to its full potential. Because once again, the end of the year in an elementary classroom is a time to enjoy each other's company, to create, to live, to laugh, to love and to close a chapter successfully so students are able to move into their new grade and their new chapter of life. 

This ending has been unreal because we all know students aren't receiving that kind of closure. You can be as creative as you want virtually and human connection really only TRULY occurs when you are physically with that person or that student or that colleague. Emotionally-this has been a roller coaster for me because I think about the high school seniors, the college seniors and really any individual who was coming to "an end" but never really received that closure or that celebration. I think even more important than the beginning of chapters is that ending. Because it is the deciding factor in how one perceives themselves, their successes, their friendships. The endings allow you to reflect on all that you have done and all that you have seen and all the adventures you have conquered before moving on to something new, something different and maybe something a little bit scary. 

I went running today because I so badly needed to get outside and clear my head. But unfortunately as I was running today and thinking about the clarity behind the meaning of the word "ending" I began to think of other people's lives across the world ending in ways they never imagined. And after distancing myself from everyone (there was no one around) I did see a few individuals walking with masks on, and I realized I probably should stop running. Because what if I am the one carrying something my husband brought home from the hospital? Well then, I could be sharing germs I didn't even know existed. 

The start to 2020 has been tough for everyone. For those who have lost their jobs. For those who don't have enough food. For those who are lacking childcare. For those who have lost loved ones who are sick. For those who have seen their neighborhoods change in an instant with overflowing hospital beds and spouses sacrificing their lives to save others. It is one of the only moments I have ever experienced where the saying "It feels like the world has stopped" is actually true. The world has stopped. And the ending won't be the same. And it won't be the way we want the ending to be. But we have to think of it this way. Sacrificing our wanted ending so that others can have future beginning. Well-then the ending "you" wanted doesn't really seem all that important anymore.