It’s been a year.
She said it in a literal way.
And in a heavy-sigh expressive way.
It HAD been a year.
A year since the world turned upside down.
Or rather inside out.
Where going out became dangerous.
When we hunkered down, narrowed our circles and changed all our systems.
When our coping strategies pre-COVID no longer worked in this foreign pandemic land.
As a team,
We used to slay dragons in sandtrays and process anger with a bop bag.
Now, we cuddle puppies and rabbits,
And process anger with nerf guns and windows…through a screen.
We are creating, shifting, tweaking, adapting,
All while holding the precious cargo of children and their big feelings,
In a world consistently harder for them.
As we processed the year,
We also shared what our years looked like personally.
Where we rallied.
Where we learned.
Where we squeezed people a little tighter. The ones we could.
Where we fought more.
Where we said I love you more.
Where we fell apart.
Tears and joys.
It’s been a year.
I am proud of us.
She said it honestly, with a smile and a shaky voice.
It fits.
We can smile and shake.
Be scared and brave and proud, all at the same time.
As I looked at the beautiful faces in the room….screen.
All with different eyes and smiles.
All with different strengths and weaknesses.
All with different things to grieve.
All with different things to hope for.
I agreed. I am proud of us, too.
Happy Child Life Month, to my precious team.
Sincerely, Crystal 