August 21, 2020

​Ready or not…

As this new school year kicks off without all the normal stuff, back-to-school activities look much different than any of us could have expected.

​I am rushing around the house, trying to get everything set up for Charlie (6 ½) who is starting 1st grade, virtually, while attempting to corral our Annalise, our 2 ½ year old, who thinks she, too, is starting 1st grade. She pulls up her chair right next to Charlie as we practice some of the on-line activities that he and I both will need to learn very quickly.  We are ordering school supplies on the HEB website, and having Amazon deliver tools and all kinds of things we “need” for this year. We are getting Charlie’s new chrome book set up, thanks to an amazingly thoughtful and generous family who knew we didn’t have one.  He will become VERY knowledgeable in technology that we have, until now, not introduced in our house.

Meanwhile, we have hung up a curtain in our converted garage (we call it the studio) for Efrain, so that he can have some semblance of a private space where he will teach his art classes, virtually, for the next few weeks (hopefully longer). 

And through it all, especially in these last few days, I keep hearing the phrase “ready or not…” 

Ready or not, friends, we are starting school, on the computer, at home. Ready or not, Charlie, at 6 ½ will learn how to navigate technology that I don’t even understand.
 
Some families, in fact, are ready. Ours is not. Except, that it is. Sort of. I don’t know what on-line learning will look like for my family…but ready or not, we’ll find out, together.
 
I don’t know what next week, or next month will look like on the calendar…but ready or not, we’ll find out, together.
 
On these days when I’m feeling most “not ready,” God has a funny way of reminding me that I am…at least sort of…
 
We’ve got the log-in information for the first day of class. That’s something, right?
 
God is with my family and your family and with all of us as we navigate this new school year. And ready or not, God will be with us.

God is with the teachers, administrators and staff.
God is with the parents.
God is with the students.
 
Ready or not...we can do this - together. 
​
Emily Jamison Guerrero