A student stopped me at the Homecoming community pep rally this week to ask me if I remembered a funny story about a football game last year. We both had a good laugh and smiled as I suggested that I might retell the story in a graduation speech. It was the kind of moment that reminded me why Homecoming is important. It keeps us centered on what is most important in our lives, which is building strong relationships and developing a sense of community. It is a special time of the year that brings us fond memories of the past, rekindles old friendships, and anchors us in our rich traditions. Our pride swells up a bit on weeks like this when we recall and retell old stories that are slightly embellished but are oh so fun to tell.
In the years to come, I wonder about the stories that might be retold during Homecoming about the year 2020. It is quite likely there will be stories about not liking the day's circumstances and recalling the challenges of living through the pandemic, the derecho, and polarizing politics. However, my greatest hope for us is that we find the strength to tell the story of 2020 from a different perspective.
Over the last few months, I have tried to learn from these turbulent times to find what is good, trustworthy, and right about the time. I enjoy reading the author John Gordon because he motivates me to think this way. He tweeted something several days back that spoke and resonated with me about positivity. He tweeted, “Positive thinking doesn’t mean you ignore the reality of the situation. It means you have the optimism, belief, and faith to overcome the situation.”
So when the day comes that I am asked to retell the story of 2020, I want to tell the overcomers' story. The overcomers, the good people who came together to help serve meals to our community's children for several months without complaint. The overcomers, the health care workers, and other essential workers who were willing to continue working in public despite the risks. The overcomers, those who rallied together to reopen school when the odds were against us. The overcomers, teachers who stepped forward to learn new technologies to continue teaching and allow children to learn. The overcomers, the parents to managed work and also help their children learn from home. The list goes on.
I am confident more challenges will surface, 2020 is not quite over. But this I know, there will be good people who rise above the situation and overcome. We are all in this together.
