As COVID-19 surfaced and upended our regular way of life, the Bay School sprung into action to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of our whole community. Campus closed, and like schools the world over, Bay forged a new path forward into the unknown territory of Distance Learning. It’s been a challenging and magnificent experience. Today, as students and teachers wrap up week three in the zoom classroom and head off for spring break at home, The Bay School counselors Suzanne Bernier and Christina Velasco have some words of wisdom to share with us all.
As we continue to shelter in place while simultaneously trying to make sense of this new [temporary] normal, we are thinking about the myriad emotions being felt. One of those is grief. While it’s fantastic to remain positive and look towards a brighter future, it’s also okay to grieve the things that we have lost or are missing out on currently. Canceled events, the loss of rituals and routines, social connections and even a sense of security can all feel lost.
It’s okay to be feeling this way. Allow yourself the space to “feel your feelings”- especially right now. Left unrecognized and unattended, grief can negatively impact us emotionally, cognitively, physically or even spiritually. Even though we might not even be thinking of our reactions as grief, it is important to honor our own losses-even if those losses seem small compared to others. You deserve this.
Stay safe and healthy,
Suzanne and Christina
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