“A gentle breeze from Hushabye Mountain
Softly blows o’er Lullaby Bay
It fills the sails of boats that are waiting
Waiting to sail your worries away
It isn’t far to Hushabye Mountain
And your boat waits down by the quay
The winds of night so softly are sighing
Soon they will fly your troubles to sea
So close your eyes on Hushabye Mountain
Wave goodbye to cares of the day
And watch your boat from Hushabye Mountain
Sail far away from Lullaby Bay
So close your eyes on Hushabye Mountain
Wave goodbye to cares of the day
And watch your boat from Hushabye Mountain
Sail far away from Lullaby Bay.”
The lyrics of one of my favorite songs from “Chitty-Chitty Bang Bang,” sung by Dick Van Dyke’s character to his young children even as the tremendous weight of the world was on his shoulders. “Don’t you worry,” he tells them. “Things are gonna come right, somehow.”
I love that scene- perhaps more than any other ever performed, in any movie or stage production.
The Omicron variant of COVID-19 is more transmissible and impacting far more people in my circle of life than at any point in the pandemic. The coming few weeks of return to school will be a challenge as we work to support those who must be absent, colleagues and students, and persevere through what has been anything but a normal school year to date, yet far more “normal” than anything over the past two years.
There are times, it does feel a little like the weight of the world. As a teacher. As a parent.
At this juncture, it’s the distinct possibility of more changes… all the changes, twists and turns and relative inability to firmly establish basic routine and structure which can make things feel so unpalatable at times. We are most certainly facing some changes in the school environment over the coming days and weeks as Omicron moves through the population like wildfire.
The same old questions circle in my mind. Questions which seemed put to rest just a few months ago. What will happen? Or, more importantly, how will we manage it all and find a new source of strength when there exists a certain level of weariness, exhaustion after two long years of this chaos.
It was somewhat of a remarkable turn of events, on the eve of return to work and school from Winter Break, 2021-2022. I recall walking outside just one week ago in the early evening and scoffing a bit at the forecast of snow. I was standing in my yard with an outright balmy breeze rustling through what’s left of the leaves on any tree, in early January 2022.
The weather people got things right for once.
Monday morning brought with it a tremendous drop in temperatures and snow. Lots of snow- the beautiful kind even as it can create havoc with downed tree branches, power lines and transportation. Unfortunately, I know some who experienced all the unpleasantness of the above.
Ugh. The historic I-95 traffic nightmare of January 2022.
In other years, I have experienced all of the above. I remember a winter of being stuck in ice and traffic with my husband, 6 month old twins and a three year old. It took us over 8 hours to go about 20 miles and it was terrifying, as the hours dragged on and it seemed there was no way out and no way home.
Now, a few days later, there are remarkable stories of people helping people coming from the chaos that was I-95. Here is a link to one of the most heartwarming stories. https://www.today.com/food/news/local-bakery-truck-gives-bread-stranded-drivers-95-traffic-jam-rcna11075?icid=canonical_related
I hope those who suffered through those terrible 24-plus hours stranded and stuck on the interstate will overcome the difficult memories and heal in time. Thankful, to the best of my knowledge, there were no injuries or deaths.
Between the snowfall and the nearby I-95 situation, many of us, as school staff members planning to return from winter break on January 3, were provided an unexpected and temporary reprieve from all the uncertainty of returning to school with our students.
The “cares of the day” of returning from winter break at a period of “high” transmission in the area and staffing shortages were deferred just long enough to enjoy a moment of the peaceful tranquility and unique beauty of winter.
For me, the events of the past week serve as another necessary reminder that the answer to the difficult questions of: what will happen and how will we manage all of this… lies in the exact same place as it did before. And so I write to remind myself as we continue through the hectic journey of COVID-19.
We will manage by taking things one day at a time.
We will manage by caring for ourselves and others, seeking and offering support where we can, and in being mindful that our words and actions may be the “gentle breeze” that fills the sails of another.
These are the thoughts and reflections I choose to carry into the coming week, days and months.
