begin again

Dear boys,

I love the way you're more mine in the summer. Despite wet swimming trunks on the floor and stinky socks in literally every room of the house, each of you is a joy and a delight to have around. Truly. I am so, so lucky to enjoy this time with you, and I know it in my bones. I love being able to witness your passion for the possible, to be so close to the calculus of your big futures and privy to your quiet dreams. I'm going to miss having you here at home.

After months of watermelon and popsicles and past bedtimes, after amazing travel and fresh haircuts and new gym shoes, it's time for your taller, tanner shoulders to head back to school. I've been thinking about this season for four decades now, from what to wear to how to decorate my locker to my own classroom routines. You offer me a new lens on learning and how school experiences can affect our identity. 

My love-filled advice for you on the path of acquiring knowledge:

Do not brand yourself as good or bad at anything - the truth is, very few things are out of your grasp. 

Push yourself when you can. Some things take longer to learn than others, and it's okay to advocate for what you need along the way.

Take breaks - half of education may be reflection, so a big part of learning is thinking about what you've encountered. Rest is certainly related to assimilation.

Honor your preferred learning styles - listen to music, draw diagrams and sketches, move your body.

Stay curious - almost nothing in the world is boring (the trick may be to connect new things in ways that resonate).

This list is not exhaustive! Fortunately there are plenty of people in your lives who can share good advice. Your dad and I are obviously not the only people who shape your mind, though we will always be fascinated by what lodges in and what passes through. Please keep talking to us! We are so impressed by your awareness and integrity, by your empathy and drive. We hope you will remain focused, confident and a little kinder than necessary.

We live in a small, remarkable place with some of the very best teachers in the world. But it's a district attached to a state agenda and school is not the only place to learn. You learn at the park and at museums, by people watching and reading books, at summer camp and in the garage. You learn so much in the classroom though - content and independence and how to be in community. May your school buildings be bright habitats of belonging. 

I can't help you much with chemistry or Spanish or how to read a map, but I will always support your effort and interests.

No one loves you more than I do.

Mom