Heroism Comes in Many Forms

“You’re living a part of history,” I hear myself say repeatedly to my three daughters. “This is something you’ll remember forever, and tell your own kids about and probably even your grandkids,” I’ll add on. It’s true. Each and every one of us is living through a piece of history right this very minute.

In the past month, I’ve had the honor of working with many teachers and therapists as they transition from teaching within a classroom or providing services within a clinic to providing virtual learning through on-line platforms. To say it has been inspirational is truly an understatement. Again and again, I witnessed total and utter courage as these professionals moved forward, not knowing or feeling completely comfortable with this new way of teaching and doing therapy, but doing whatever it took to learn how to do it. They forged a path to make it meaningful for every student no matter his or her background. 

Because I am a speech therapist, and by nature love vocabulary and semantics, I often think about words that describe situations I am a part of or are going on around me. When reflecting on the past month, there are a few words that come to mind when I think of all the teachers and therapists who changed the way they were teaching and doing therapy. They developed a whole new curriculum and treatment plan in just a matter of weeks. Right away my mind fills with words such as perseverance, tenacity, grace, strength, courage, and inspiration, but the overarching vocabulary word, the one that it is most glaring... heroic.

I listened to an article today on Wyoming Public Media where a colleague and friend of mine, Wade Kinsey, was quoted as saying, "If I can provide some of that classroom community that we've spent months building over the course of the year that was taken from us, if I can get that back, that's the stuff that will make the difference for these kids,"  Not only have these teachers and therapists, worked tirelessly on doing just that but they’ve developed new curriculums and treatment plans compatible with on-line learning, and they have individualized each lesson and treatment plan according to the student. They’re taking into account students whose parents are essential workers or are not able to provide support and making plans accordingly, they’re dropping food and other essentials off on family’s doorsteps daily (i.e., tables and chairs to do school work on, writing utensils, paper, etc), they’re on video and phone calls all hours of the day and late into the night helping those who are most vulnerable, and they’re taking time away from their own family to tend to their students and patients. I’ve witnessed therapy clinics making lunches and having them available for their patients every single day, and this is on top of all the services they are providing. This is nothing short of heroic.

So yes, we are living a part of history, and the heroism our teachers and therapists have exhibited throughout this pandemic will always be a part of the story I will tell in years to come.  I will be forever grateful.