A Thankful Season Indeed

11/26/2019

Laura Hamlin Weiler ’00, Head of Community Engagement

In a season of Thanksgiving, I am thankful for the depth of relationships and experiences that being a part of the Trinity community allows. This column is a reflection about the emotions of the fall; vibrant, bittersweet, and overwhelmingly full of gratitude.

You expect it in May, when the world is abuzz with energy of new beginnings and the book store landscape is decorated by Oh, The Places You'll Go. You have girded yourself and have tissues at hand. You are ready for the onslaught at Baccalaureate and graduation.

When you are not prepared, though, is the early days of November, when the light is changing along with the fall foliage. You are still in the newness of the school year, with Homecoming a recent memory. So it stands to reason that you are unprepared for the wave of emotion that builds and crashes at this time of year. And yet it comes, sneaking in as the days grow shorter, a natural parallel to the notion of high school seniors' journeys at Trinity growing shorter themselves.

I was first caught on "Senior Day," which rightfully can be emotional as seniors are celebrated in their final athletic contests. Listening to seniors reflect about what they have learned during their time on teams and hearing them share advice with the younger athletes is rewarding and inspiring. And you can see them recognize, for maybe the first time, that this experience is a fleeting one, and that there really is an end this time, different from the many years before. Their appreciation is elevated and they face their own crossroads of being excited for the future and nostalgic of the past.

Where I was most caught off guard, though, was on conference day, a day typically focused on quantifiable measurements of academic progress, activity credits fulfilled, community service hours tallied, and goals met. It is part of the process of building for the next step in the progression of high school. It is reassuring in its predictability and patterns over time. This year, though, was the final meeting for these families, as their students are all seniors, not preparing for next year at Trinity, but preparing for their next steps beyond our campus. It was a gift to reflect with families about how much their children have grown and the obstacles they have overcome, the challenges they have faced, and the strength they have gained from those difficult moments.

Where the unexpected emotion surfaced was in saying goodbye to parents, some of whom I have known for a decade or more. We have been allies and cheerleaders, partners and protectors. We have been through major life changes together, many positive and some not. They have trusted us to be their partners and have welcomed us into their families, allowing us to help care for their most precious cargo. We have been a team, and as the seniors learned on senior day, even the best teams and seasons eventually end, and this relationship, too, has reached its natural conclusion. The results are joyful and incredibly rewarding, and yet I am verklempt. It is hard to say it's over, it is hard to recognize that we are no longer needed, not in the same way. We have become Winnie the Pooh as the students are Christopher Robin.

And while I found myself crying more than once, the sentiment I took home with me was overwhelming gratitude to be a part of this process and this place and these moments that capture the abundance of life. Winnie the Pooh said, "How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."

As we move through the school year and the emotions of May come closer, make sure to capture the unexpected moments between now and then. They may catch you off guard and you may find your eyes welling and your throat tightening. Embrace the emotion and let it wash over you, as you feel grateful for the complexity of the journey and your partners along the way.

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About “Connections”

Connections is a regular online column, written from the first-person perspective of Laura Hamlin Weiler ’00, Head of Community Engagement:

In this space, I have the privilege of sharing stories of Trinity students, alumni, and faculty and staff who are carrying our mission beyond the boundaries of campus. Many of these stories might not make the headlines, but they will illustrate how every member of the Trinity community has a unique path to discover, and the ability to make an impact on both the Trinity community and the world beyond.

I am fortunate to have been a part of this community since my own adolescence. I have been a student, a teacher, a coach, and an administrator, and in these roles I have witnessed the school’s growth and evolution through the years. We have grown in size as well as spirit.

Stories here will capture how seeds planted at Trinity have taken root and flourished into full-grown passions. You’ll also read stories of those in our community who bring their gifts from outside to help us learn. At Trinity, we seek to develop lifelong learners, and stories here will illustrate real-life examples of that beautiful symbiosis.