Team work.

That’s how we made it through the past 15 months of virtual school during a global pandemic.

This wouldn’t have been possible without all of the amazing and selfless individuals who worked tirelessly day in and day out.

The exceptional teachers that found creative ways for our children to learn, while they too were navigating new and unfamiliar territory.

The parents who became assistant teachers over night and stayed awake wondering how they’d make it through another day.

The paraprofessionals and teachers aides that would offer support and give ideas to make things a little bit easier for us.

The therapists who took phone calls after hours because the overwhelming stress and anxiety from the day was too much to handle.

The friend on the other end of line who sat quietly and listened as you cried out your frustrations and fears.

The in-laws who helped with homework over Zoom calls or dropped off dinner so you didn’t have to cook.

The caregivers who were burnt out from every day demands but still found strength within to keep going for their family.

The special education staff and they’re incredible determination to make sure our children had what they needed to be successful at home.

We ALL made sacrifices during this time.

We had to adapt and learn new ways to navigate through difficult situations.

We had to rise above our own personal circumstances and make sure our children felt supported.

That they felt seen.

Heard.

And loved.

Our children are extremely resilient, but there’s no doubt in my mind this has left an impact on each and every one of them.

My hope is that they saw the power and strength behind the army of people who were helping them through this every step of the way.

That we showed up with love in our hearts and helped them through this emotional roller coaster.

That we showed grace and empathy for one another, especially on the difficult days.

That we often spoke about mental health and personal feelings regarding school, friends and social distancing.

And most importantly, we never gave up.

We kept pushing through the tears, the anxiety and the constant changes.

We chose to rise above our fears and continue the path to the finish line.

It wasn’t easy.

It took a lot of patience and hard work.

But we did it.

Together.