Sara Sandstrom, Peak to Peak. The global pandemic that we are in has brought havoc on our lives. At one level it is annoying on another level it is heartbreaking. I do not know how else to describe it besides a rollercoaster. It is an emotional rollercoaster for everyone and a logistics rollercoaster for families, businesses and schools. 

One summer while in college I worked at Valleyfair, an amusement park in Shakopee, Minnesota. I would see in people’s faces the excitement of getting on a rollercoaster and some with great trepidation. When people got off some faces were in shock, some looked relieved, some excited and some sick. 

In the case of Covid I would say the faces of excitement were only in the beginning when kids heard they would not have school for a couple weeks. 

A roller coaster is designed to have highs and lows, that is the excitement. It is predictable. You watch it from the ground, and you can see the track in front of you. One of the biggest and most frustration challenges of this pandemic is that we cannot predict what is going to happen so making choices is insanely difficult. 

This is felt very strongly in school systems and in families with school aged children. It is a fact that the majority of children do better in a school setting. We could not do that in August. Now the decision has been made in Boulder Valley School District that students Kindergarten through second grade will go back to the school building, if the parents choose to do so. Other districts in the area are looking at making similar changes. The youngest kids are learning the foundations of reading, writing and math. Having school online is very challenging for the majority of children in this age group, and they require a lot of adult support. 

When I heard the news that some students will be returning to school I was put on an emotional rollercoaster. My first grader wants to be at school, and I know she is surviving Home Learning but not thriving. As a teacher I will be going back to school. Okay, we can handle that. 

Then my mind went to my fourth grader. My body became tense, my breathing heavier, my eyes shifting in panic and a few tears slid down my cheeks. What am I supposed to do now? Why is this so hard and why can’t I have just a little stability in life? 

I want to be very clear that I am not blaming the district or the school for my frustration. This is an incredibly difficult time and schools will be feeling the pain of Covid for many years to come. My stress comes from being thrown onto the unpredictable rollercoaster that is Covid, yet again.  

I do not have all the answers to my dilemmas yet. I do have to remind myself to solve one issue at a time and that we are doing our best and are not going to be perfect. 

In times like this I listen to one of my favorite calming songs, Claude DeBussy’s Clair de Lune. I put my hands in hot soapy dish water to wash dishes after everyone has gone to bed. I get lost in the rise and fall of the piano as I listen to this sad and lovely piece. There are times of tension and calm and a beautiful melody throughout. It is both soothing and turbulent much like life. By the end it is relaxing and has calmed me to the point of being able to sleep. 

We all know this rollercoaster of Covid will not be over for some time. It reminds me of the British saying “Keep Calm and Carry On”. A call to have resilience and persistence in the midst of seemingly overwhelming challenges. 

I encourage all of you to see the rollercoaster for what it is. It is a period of time with ups and some drastic downs. We might scream a little and feel overwhelmed with fear. The rollercoaster always comes to an end. In the meantime, carry on and maybe get lost in some music that speaks to your heart. 

(Originally published in the September 17, 2020, edition of The Mountain-Ear.)