This morning has been extremely tough as a teacher overall for everyone. Just by walking down the street, in the bus or subway, sitting through traffic or walking by colleagues at work you can feel the thick amount of sadness in the air and that it’s on everyone’s mind. As a teacher there’s no way I could continue on the lesson as though a tragedy didn’t just happen yesterday. It would pain me to fake a smile for my students and pretend like everything is alright.. today I offered students space to open up if they felt comfortable enough, share stories, listen to music and just put their head down to reflect. We are so busy in the world with deadlines and consumed with so many responsibilities we don’t have the proper space to take everything in and actually reflect on how we are feeling.
Last night I was tossing and turning like the rest of the world thinking about all the victims in my head. It seemed like the world stopped and nothing else mattered. My thoughts began taking over and I started wondering what their last words and thoughts were. The teachers and kids wondering why me..
I wanted to take the day off work but I knew my responsibility as a teacher. I know we have to make sure we take care of ourselves, but I knew many of my students were struggling emotionally because of all the emails I received last night from them trying to make sense of the world. As teachers we want to be there for everybody regardless of how we feel. At the end of the day we all need each other. We are all hurting souls and are much stronger together. Praying for everyone out there struggling to make it through the day.
Praying for all the victims and their families.
Psalm 34:18
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Deonte' Earl Towner 