To My Children on the Last Day of School:
This year, on the last day of school, I hope that you have learned:
- Not everything goes as planned. Quite often, a wrench will be thrown into your life and it’s up to you to turn that into something manageable, doable, and perhaps even better.
- Fractions. Yes, they seem stupid when you can’t wrap your head about changing an improper fraction of 4/3 to the proper 1 and 1/3 but is very useful when making mama’s delicious banana bread.
- Number lines are stupid and cross-multiplication is bomb. Perhaps you should keep that knowledge to yourself and in September do it whatever way your teacher asks for you to do it, (that very well could be yours truly again).
- Back to the Future is cinematic perfection and 1.21 gigawatts is super-fast.
- Sacrifice and selflessness are part of our moral code. Sometimes we must give up what we want for the betterment of someone else. This lesson will serve you well should you learn it properly.
- It’s important to wash your hands and cover your mouth. This has always been important, sometimes we just need reminders.
- Murder hornets are real. They are called susumebachi in Japanese and mom had a close encounter with one in Japan while teaching.
- Bridge to Terabithia is the best children’s novel – you’ll never convince me otherwise. If I were a better teacher, I would have made you write a book report telling why you think so too, but I’m not, and I didn’t.
- Nothing beats a good forest adventure (just remember the snacks).
- Skateboarding is cool.
- Sometimes it’s okay to break the rules if you need to break the rules.
- Black lives matter.
- Protesting and rioting occurs when inequality is so blatant that the world is outraged. Be outraged with the world when something is unfair. Make a sign and stand tall.
- It’s a luxury to wake up when your body wakes and fall asleep when you’re tired. You may not have this often in life so on the days that you do, be so very thankful for this internal alarm that regulates you.
- Pets are work and kittens poop a lot.
- Monopoly is a microcosm of real life. Paying taxes suck but we shouldn’t cry about it because on your next turn you may very well strike it rich (and pay more taxes for the rest of the game).
- When the world is too much, feels too much, or appears scary, your world is here, within these four walls. It is my job to create a safe haven for you and my greatest hope is that you have learned this and shall never forget it.