Where I live, in Colorado, the trees have begun to bloom, the grass has finally greened, and after a season of storms and confinement, it does feel that the world is opening, if even a little bit, sowing seeds of hope.
As we look to summer, I hear the sunshine in your voices as you share not only the work that you are proud to have accomplished these past dark months, but also your plans to disconnect and step away from your obligations if even for a moment. I know for many of us, we are entering this new season running on fumes. I hear your words of exhaustion, both because the work you have undertaken this past year has required herculean innovation as we’ve retooled nearly every aspect of how we approach our work, and also because the emotional labor of our efforts is heavy.
Our members are people who hold space — for your employees, your students, and your community. You are the safe space where people come to grieve. To process. To share in the unending work of building a better workplace, educational experience, and community.
I sit in the fortunate place of hearing your many successes and struggles this past year, and I am certainly inspired by the collective impact this work is making on our organizations and on our industry as a whole. I hope that as you find time in these coming months to take a breath, that part of what you reflect upon is a sense of accomplishment. A sense that things are changing. Our organizations are changing. We are changing. Because of you.
With gratitude,
Kristin
This message was included in Together We Grow’s May newsletter. Subscribe to the monthly newsletter.