The holidays are a time for people to renew the traditions that hold them together. A time for us to appreciate the gifts we’ve been given. A time for family, friendship, and hope. In this holiday season, when many of us are seeking ways to make sense of the past year, we’d like to take a moment to express our gratitude to those of you who have been working so hard to keep a light burning in these very difficult times.
Most of us will experience a very different holiday season this year–and not simply because the CDC recommends that people celebrate the holidays with members of their current households, warning that even small in-person gatherings pose risk. While navigating those rules will be a hardship for some, for many others, the holidays will be colored by other losses: the loss of a job, a home, and, yes, even a loved one. Grief often makes itself felt during the holidays and this year, grief will be hard to stare down.
Still, human beings are astonishingly adaptable. In our own education communities, we have seen people rise to the occasion over and over.
Bonnie Burns 