Sometimes it seems like this day will never come. And then it does. Today we completed the awards ceremonies for all of our classes and graduated our class of 2024. It’s always a bittersweet day, and this year was no different with its wide range of feelings and emotions. Even the fruit on our heavily loaded peach tree has come to fruition. We’ve loved listening to each of the teachers speak individually about their students. Some groups prepared sweet songs for their parents and appreciation gifts were exchanged between teachers and room reps. The first graders memorized and recited an entire book.
A special part of these last few days has been having our parents present on the playground for awhile. It’s where so many extraordinary things happen, and it’s quite a nature immersion. Sending children off with the blessings of the trees seems like a good idea.
Holding our ending ceremonies under the trees reminds me of May 2021, when we came up with the idea of holding in-person graduation outside instead of each classroom. It was such a raw time, not really knowing how things with the pandemic would turn out. We’ve come a long way since then, and for the most part weathered the challenges of Covid-19.
Days like today mark the passage of time for parents, teachers, and children. During recess today I was standing under a beautiful shade tree that was planted many years ago in memory of one of our Seed dads who died of cancer. I remembered the day we planted it for him, his wife and daughters present for the occasion. One of those daughters just graduated from medical school. She will make a difference in many lives as her work unfolds. Today, on this last day, I reflect on my own passage of time, here at the Seed, and in my own life. I hope that through my personal passage of time, in collaboration with our gifted staff, we’ve made a difference. Days like today make me feel like we have…and we will continue as long as we can.