Beyond These Difficult Weeks

I’m not gonna lie. These last few weeks have been tougher for the kids than usual. Teachers as well. Testing has made all of us a little crazy, a little irritable, a little more impatient at times, and certainly a little more anxious for summer. But when the kids found out I had written their story into a book of fiction, a story that stretches far beyond these last few difficult weeks, this was probably the best captured, most authentic photo, because it shows how much they really love each other, and how much they hope others will be inspired to love in the same way.

“When Jonathan first asked his teacher about COVID-19, she told him there was nothing to worry about. That was what a lot of teachers said to their students in February, before the pandemic. Less than two months later, when his parents lost their jobs and told him they were moving to a new state, Jonathan was more frustrated and anxious than ever before. He felt angry and alone, like nothing really mattered and no one really listened. Starting at a new school should have made things worse, but Jonathan had never met the fifth grade students at Tokata Elementary. Together, they all learned how to make a bad year good.” (From the back cover of Thank You, Bliss)