A Love Letter to Folks Starting School

Dear student,

maybe that’s a new label for you.

maybe you’ve been in school before.

maybe you feel confident and ready,

and maybe you feel intimidated.

maybe you’ve been a student before,

and that experience is on your mind.

In all of those scenarios,

I’m glad you’re here.

I’m glad you’re craving learning.

I’m glad you are hungry to know something, or practice something, or if for you this is not a milestone you’ve chosen.

I celebrate when school is something to be celebrated.

perhaps like me you feel more nervous than confident,

and your body isn’t yet comfortable.

perhaps like me you love learning,

and you are unsure about school.

perhaps you don’t know how you feel,

and your mind is open,

and your body curious,

and your support system built.

May your support system be ready in the wings,

and your body’s needs considered.

in my experience,

school is still learning how to appreciate

our bodies’ needs,

and the ones that can be appreciated,

may still be misunderstood.

you will share in the burden on making school

a container for your wellbeing,

and for that I’m sorry.

and I’m also hopeful that your skillful ness

will not be shaped by another’s limits.

I’m instigated to remind you

that your needs deserve to be met.

I’m instigated to tell you to bring your

skills to school,

and your insights,

and your references for how your learn.

I’m instigated to tell you to

consider your classmates,

to disagree with your professors,

to monitor culture,

to build climate,

to call out toxins.

I’m instigated to ask you to

shape school with

wellness on your heart,

and to plant questions that

ask us to make school healthful.

to the student starting school,

bring your consciousness,

use your gut,

listen with your body,

be aware of your classmates,

change your classroom

instead of suppressing your needs.

spend time in the wings,

where support is waiting.