MUSINGS

 New Beginnings

 

As summer comes to a close, our schools once again open their doors to offer students unlimited opportunities to learn, grow, and prepare for success beyond the classroom. It is an exciting time for students, parents, teachers, administrators, and the entire community.

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For a moment, reflect on the days when you were a student preparing to return to school. Perhaps you remember the excitement of seeing friends, meeting a new teacher, or starting a new grade. Perhaps your memories are not as positive. Regardless of our individual experiences, each new school year represents a new beginning and an opportunity to do things differently.

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We all have a role to play in helping our educators and students embrace the possibilities ahead. We can encourage our young people, support our teachers, listen to one another, and create an environment where every student has the opportunity to feel valued and succeed. Sometimes, meaningful change begins with something as simple as choosing to be more supportive, more patient, or more engaged.

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As summer comes to a close, we are also confronted with the memories of September 11, 2001. It is hard to believe that 25 years have passed since that horrific day.

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I remember the wide range of emotions my family, friends, and so many Americans experienced. It was difficult to comprehend that such unimaginable acts of hatred could occur. Yet, through the senseless loss of so many of our fellow Americans, something else emerged. We gathered together. We supported one another. We embraced our pride in our country and, perhaps most importantly, our love and compassion for each other.

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Twenty-five years later, we have an opportunity to reflect not only on what happened, but also on what we learned.

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The connection between a new school year and the anniversary of September 11 may not be immediately obvious, but both remind us of the power of a new beginning. Both give us an opportunity to look at where we are, consider where we want to go, and decide what we can do differently to get there.

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We cannot change the past. We cannot undo the difficult moments our communities and our country have experienced. But we can decide how we respond to them.

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We can choose unity over division.

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We can choose understanding over judgment.

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We can choose encouragement over criticism.

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We can choose to listen before we react.

 

And we can choose to invest in the future of our children and our community.

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As we remember and honor the lives lost on September 11, let us also honor their memory through the way we live our lives and treat one another.

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As our children return to school, let us give them more than a new year on the calendar. Let us give them a community that believes in them, supports them, and shows them what is possible when people work together.

 

A new school year is a new beginning. The anniversary of September 11 is a reminder of what can happen when a nation comes together.

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We may not be able to change yesterday, but together, we can change tomorrow.

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Ed Forgit

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