As school begins, make a fresh start

This time of year, many of us think about going back to school, for ourselves or for our children or grandchildren. There are all sorts of questions: Who is taking children to school? Do we have the correct supplies? Who is making the lunches? I have gotten lots of ads for “must haves” for school children of all ages. Signs of going back to school are all around us.

For those of us who are not going back to school, this time of year still seems like a ritual of beginning something new. Some of the organizations I belong to have a “kick off” event, or a sign up for new activities. So almost everyone is preparing for something new.

And with the beginning of the school year, or beginning something new, students, whether in elementary, high school, or college, and those of us not going back to school may have anxiety over the changes required in something new. Mental health has become a topic of conversation everywhere I turn. Between the natural disasters, the divisions we experience in our politics, the increased hatred and violence, and COVID still hanging around, no one can escape the pressures of our culture.

I want to offer some suggested rules as we begin a new school year:

1. We all need the support of a community. No one should go through life’s journey alone. A community may be a family, a close set of friends, an organization or a religious community. This community is a place where you are accepted and celebrated for who you are. This community is a place where you can express your thoughts and feelings without being judged as “wrong.” Identify your community and be thankful for the people in your community. And if you aren’t in a community, search for a community where you can belong.
2. Develop an attitude of kindness toward others and toward ourselves. Life is difficult. So many times, judging is the first reaction for everything. We expect perfection, and most of the time perfection is not the outcome. We are all human and we all make mistakes and have flaws. When we practice kindness, our anxiety is lower. In particular, practice kindness to ourselves. We sometimes are hardest on ourselves.
3. Try to make at least one new friend. Friends benefit one another in innumerable ways. They listen, encourage, give advice, have fun, exchange trivia, share confidences and simply “are there” for one another. The specifics vary from time to time and from one friendship to another. New friends extend our boundaries and help us grow.

If you feel like these rules are too daunting, remember that we all have a higher power to help us. We might refer to that higher power as God or another name. That higher power will be with us, give us courage, and see us through the most difficult situations we will ever encounter.

May each of us reconnect with our higher power, and renew our energy, our spirits and our lives this school year.Rev. Dr. Linda A. Holbrook is the pastor of Morgan Hill United Methodist Church and a member of the Interfaith Clergy Alliance. She may be contacted at [email protected].