Day 5: Assateague Island Reflection

When we arrived at Assateague five days ago, we spent a lot of time talking about resilience. We talked about learning from nature and paying attention to the lessons that are all around us if we are willing to slow down and notice them.

What none of us knew on Day 1 was how much we would learn from each other.

Somewhere between the marsh mud, the horses, the campfires, the kayaks, the laughter, the journals, and the long conversations, we found ourselves. We also found more of our people.

At some point this week, we started lovingly referring to ourselves as eccentric and special. The truth is that many of us spend our days being the people who get excited about birds, plants, books, sounds, stories, national parks, and all the little things that other people sometimes overlook. This week reminded us that there are a lot of people just like us out there. We never knew how much we needed one another until this week.

The horses of Assateague are resilient. They survive storms, heat, insects, changing weather, and the challenges of living on a barrier island. The marshes are resilient. Even after years of human intervention and attempts to change them, they continue to heal and recover. The piping plovers are resilient. Tiny birds facing enormous challenges, yet they keep returning year after year, doing what they were created to do.

As we reflected on their stories, we realized they are not all that different from our own. We all face challenges. We all experience setbacks. We all carry things that other people cannot see. We have seasons that are difficult. We have moments when we are uncertain. We have times when we wonder what comes next.

This week reminded us that resilience is not about avoiding those things. It is about moving through them with grace. It is about showing up even when things are hard. It is about finding joy anyway. It is about leaning on others when we need help and offering a hand when someone else needs us.

As educators, we often spend so much time taking care of everyone else that we forget we need community too. This week gave us that gift.

Today, Camp 2 comes to a close.

It is hard to believe that today marks Day 13 of our summer journey so far.  Two camps are now in the books. We are carrying sandy shoes, more things that I bought in the visitor centers while Steve was in the bathroom, full journals, new ideas, and a lot of memories.

Most of all, we are carrying encouragement.

We leave Assateague stronger than we arrived and with the reminder that there is still so much good in this world.

Tomorrow we point the vehicles toward New River Gorge and Camp 3. The road continues. Our hearts are full. And just like the horses, the marshes, and the piping plovers, we keep moving forward.