appreciation

Today was our last day of online class. Never in my wildest dreams ever thought I would be saying those words or living this reality. It was, much like our virtual track meet on Tuesday, one of our best days of our distance learning experience. I would still have preferred to be together but it seems distance makes the heart grow fonder. I appreciate each of them and our class as a whole so much more deeply than I think I might have if we'd been going through our usual routine. It's so easy to get caught in a mentality of just getting through to the end of the year. I'm thankful for the slowness, for the shift in perspective, that this time has offered. 

As part of our time together I read them a story called The Invisible String by Patrice Karst. It was hard not to cry while reading it! The message is this: we are all, always, connected by invisible strings of love that connect our hearts and we are never really alone. Such a sweet way to end our year and this strange time of being apart. 

To end we each took turns sharing what we have appreciate most about our class.

I am so grateful to have had the experience of having a class full of boys. It was truly an honor to be their teacher and share this year together. They are some of the most kind, thoughtful, caring, helpful, creative and curious, energetic and FUN people I know. I have missed them so much this past term and I don't know what the future holds but for now I'm just going to feel this appreciation for what is and what has been.