There were many memorable moments throughout this year’s Jr. High trip with Montessori Academy of London. We had a workshop where the students were simply too tired to engage well, and the whole thing ended up being a bit of a mess. It would be easy to look at a session like that and think, that didn’t work. And maybe, in some ways, it didn’t. But there were also many lessons to take away from that moment. Not every experience is polished. Not every program clicks. Not every day goes well. Sometimes things are awkward or frustrating or disappointing. And those moments can be incredibly useful if we are willing to look at them. We hope that is something that the students remember. Growth doesn’t only happen when things go well. Sometimes the imperfect days give us more to work with. Sometimes the failed plan gives us the best lessons. Sometimes what didn’t happen the way we wanted it to becomes the thing that teaches us the most. The goal isn’t to make every experience perfect. The goal is to stay curious enough to notice what is there.
At our final gratitude circle, one student said that ALIVE has allowed him to feel “comfort outside of my comfort circle.” We loved that. There is something about those words that feels very true to what we are trying to create.
We ask young people to stretch beyond what is familiar, but we don’t want them to feel like they have to leave their sense of belonging behind when they do. They can be uncomfortable and still feel safe. They can be uncertain and still belong. They can try something new without having to know in advance whether they will be good at it.
“Comfort outside of my comfort circle.” We are going to hold onto those words for a long time.
Another student said something that left us feeling emotional. She is in Grade 8 and has been part of ALIVE programs since Grade 4. She said that even though ALIVE doesn’t have a building, a defined place, or even a consistent physical home, wherever we were running our programs, she always felt like she was at home. She went on to say that without ALIVE, she didn’t think she would have been able to understand who her authentic self is. I don’t think she knows how much that meant to hear. Once again, another meaningful time together. We are very grateful for our connection to the MAL community. Until next year, take care everyone!