Transitions
As winter turns to spring, and (over the past week) to summer, so too does school life have “liminal,” or in-between, seasons. These liminal times occur when one thing is ending and something new is coming, but we’re not quite there yet. Our seniors have but two weeks of classes left, then they will leave behind the comforts and certainties of Wye River Upper School and move on to college, jobs, training, and adult life. Their K-12 season ends, the next is not quite born. We say goodbye to a beloved teacher before the school year ends, and welcome a new teacher brimming with enthusiasm and ideas… one season ends a bit prematurely and another begins rather abruptly. Alas, we have but a short liminal season of transition. And then there’s the long liminal season. Even amidst COVID we’ve spent the year crossing a bridge (Dave) between the beloved founder (Chrissy) and the dynamic young educator (Stephanie). It’s been an interesting journey being the liminal bridge, full of challenges, to be sure, but full of excitement for the future and appreciation for the past. It seems, in hindsight, odd to have consciously chosen to be in the center of liminality for an extended time, but I cannot think of a better way to have spent this past year.
So as we experience the discomfort and unsettledness of these liminal seasons, let’s celebrate how far we have come, how much we’ve done, and how we’ve grown in so many ways through this season of uncertainty and change. As Lao Tzu said 2500 years ago, “the journey is the reward,” and the more we can grow comfortable with that notion, especially in these times, the better we’ll be able to weather them.
Interim Head of School, Dave Mullen
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