"These past several years, I have felt like we have been in the midst of a storm..."

“These past several years, I have felt like we have been in the midst of a storm. I have felt like I have been in the midst of a storm. We are experiencing and fighting a global pandemic. We are trying to do the hard and important work of racial reconciliation with inter-generations and intra-generations of people disagreeing, fighting, clashing and dying in ways that resemble the civil rights movements of our parents and grand-parents and great grand-parents. The struggle for gender equality and the rights of LGBTQA+ take two steps forward and one step back. Gun violence in my city and in so many urban areas has risen and is claiming too many lives, including many youth. And all of this is occurring as we fight the Covid-19 pandemic.. . . 

This school year, as I confront the rough and tough on-the-ground work of our schools, I am striving to work on my hope and on my faith by actively choosing joy. The intention of joy and the action of joy.  As the stewards of so many blessings, so many resources, and so much privilege in our Friends schools and Quaker communities – even as we confront so many storms, we can choose joy. Choose joy!”

From September 2021