Hands down, the 2020-2021 school year was the toughest school year we’ve ever faced as a family. Due to the pandemic, we weighed the options and decided to have our boys learn virtually. My oldest was a third grader at the time and my youngest was just starting kindergarten.

The younger one lasted no more than one week before I was down at the principal’s office unenrolling him from virtual kindergarten — I shouldn’t have been surprised this was where things were headed when about half way through his first day of virtual learning, he turned to me and said: “Ummm…how much longer is this?!? I’m like wasting my whole day…” 😂😂😂 —Believe me, it takes a special kind of kid to earn the title “Kindergarten Drop-Out.”

Thankfully, the older one had a little more perseverance than that. Though it was difficult to say the least, I was proud of him for sticking it out. ❤️

If you forced me to look on the bright side of the whole traumatizing experience, I would confess that one perk of having my son learn from home was the opportunity to hear him interact with his teacher and classmates — I was surprised at how mature, confident, and professional he sounded as he independently navigated the Zoom app.

That is, except one time when his teacher said, “Class, you can use this time for catch-up work…” To which I overheard him reply, “Ok, should we do our mustard work also?” 🤦‍♀️😂😂🤣 Thankfully, his mic was miraculously still on mute…🤭😳😂

By the end of the year, I had come to the conclusion that I would never wish virtual learning on my worst enemy. And though I still have PTSD (and a newfound appreciation for teachers) from it, I will say that I also learned a few other things from the whole experience. Things about my son…things about myself…and surprisingly enough, even things about wildebeests.

One particular week, my oldest was given a reading comprehension assignment that included a passage about migratory animals. Oddly enough, as I was checking over his work, something about the passage on wildebeests struck a chord in me. I never thought I would find myself relating to a wildebeest ( no comments from the peanut gallery, please 😒🤣)…but I suppose stranger things have happened.

According to the passage, these “beests” have to cross a river teeming with crocodiles 😳 in order to get to the fresh grass on the other side, a crucial resource needed for survival. They know not all of their herd will make it across alive, but they have to take the chance and cross anyway…they have to keep moving forward or they will all die.

I then I thought…isn’t that just like our lives? Especially over the past couple of years…what other choice do we have, but to move forward to survive…yes, it’s scary, yes there are risks, but if the wildebeests can find the courage and the strength to keep pressing forward despite the challenges and possible perils, then so can we. ❤️

So, if I could take one virtual lesson that I learned and share it with you today…it would be to go out there and unleash your inner beest today — choose to face whatever it is that is challenging you with the same courage and willpower of those brave animals, because you know what? The grass may literally be greener on the other side, just as it was for these wildebeests. ❤️

I’m praying that it is for you today. 🙏

Until next time…

-PWAP