compass

what we pay attention to matters.

i’ve been married to a school teacher and administrator for twenty-three years. over the years, i’ve witnessed him work wholeheartedly to create the conditions that foster healthy learning environments. honestly, it’s been brutal watching him continue to work for the impossible, even in a highly resourced school.

and now, here we are. what felt impossible before now feels like a cake walk.

our children’s educators—like other front-line workers—are working tirelessly within systems that are falling apart. all to care for and educate our children.

last night, after a very long and draining day of emails/calls/meetings full of fear/rage/grief about the ever-evolving, high-stakes plans for an uncertain present and future, he whispered to me,

“what about giving each student a compass? with the message that wherever we are, each of our compasses points north? the same north? we are connected in this way. together, we will navigate this. we can navigate anything. “

or something like that.

and just like that, this man that literally drives me crazy, reminded me that what we pay attention to matters. his paying attention to what matters helped me remember what matters.

and this is what courage looks like. this is what leadership looks like. and we need to pay attention to where we are seeing it. because it’s there–if we choose to see it.

what we pay attention to matters.