Comfort in Small Spaces

The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.

Socrates

After struggling with Covid-19 for a couple of weeks, my son is thankfully back on his feet and feeling well; however, as a result, our family reunion in July was postponed, so my daughter and I decided to take another national park road trip. We traveled 3600 miles through six Rocky Mountain states. We wore our masks everywhere we went (even on the hiking trails), slept in my Little Guy Tag teardrop trailer, prepared our own meals, read, listened to Taylor Swift’s Folklore album on repeat, and played a lot of Yahtzee. This trip fed our starving vagabond spirits.

We traveled through Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, and Wyoming before the West caught on fire. We zigzagged in order to see all the sites that these magnificent states offer. Never did we tire of the small space within the cab of my truck or in the tiny sleeping area of the trailer. Rather, we found comfort in our conversations, in music, in nature, and in our unique mother/daughter bond. As we messaged her three brothers throughout the adventure, we all agreed that we were overdue for a family road trip. We miss our summer family vacations in our old pop-up trailer but appreciate any time we do get to spend together – even when all of these adult kiddos and their significant others are packed like sardines in our mountain cabin, there is comfort here.

~ ~ ~

As I just finished the first week of school, much has changed. I’ve moved to the elementary level in a different rural district and have a new teaching assignment. We clean, sanitize, wash hands, social distance, stay in our own cohorts, take temperatures, and use zones on the playground. Although enrollment is down, the classrooms seem smaller, as desks and kiddos are spread apart; yet, there is comfort at school. The students are thrilled to be back. These children are incredibly resilient to all the changes – so obedient and willing to do what is being asked of them. It is truly a wonderful time to be teaching again. I won’t quit teaching or go on strike because of my personal fear of Covid-19 because I see the immense need for so many children to be in a school where they are provided healthy meals twice a day, they are playing, they are learning, and they are happy. I have the privilege again to teach, not just facilitate curriculum online and assign lessons and grades. I do not intend to demean those who have chosen to leave the field of education or to home-school or to move to remote learning; I believe all options serve an important purpose for individual students and families, especially since Covid-19 doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. I read of college campuses already inundated with the spread of the virus, as well as community outbreaks and new hot spots. I recognize the need to have additional options for in-person learning, but for me, at this moment, I am thrilled with the way my district, staff, and students have adapted to this bizarre time in which we are living. There is comfort in the small school with young learners wearing tiny masks.

~ ~ ~

I physically attended church this morning for the first time in months and months. Chairs were spread apart and the little mountain church was about half-full of worshipers. We sang and prayed and learned about forgiveness and kindness. Some wore masks, while others did not. We didn’t shake hands or hug one another, nor did we all join hands during the benediction, as was the tradition before the pandemic hit. In spite of the social distancing and the physical alterations of the sanctuary, there was comfort in this small space: comfort and hope.