On the Colorado Academy campus, our trees are not abloom, and the days feel only slightly longer. Nonetheless, March is here, and small signs of change are on the horizon: students in the Class of 2022 are beginning to redirect their energy away from the “to-do’s” to the joy of high school.
Each day, groups of Seniors gather in their lounge to “puzzle.” No cell phones, no iPads, no exclusions, just old-fashioned teamwork and a work of art to produce. I’ve marveled at them, diligently hovering around tables, laughing, offering advice to one another. After lunch, two students join forces to carefully relocate their puzzle to the coffee table in the College Office for safekeeping until they can resume the next day. Their collection is growing! A few recent creations have even been immortalized through the process of decoupage and now hang like modern art in the Senior lounge.
As I reflect on spring and what lies ahead—college admission decisions, choosing next steps, celebrations, goodbyes—it seems fitting that the Class of 2022 has stolen this moment for themselves. I like to think that as they scan the colors and shapes, examine a piece, see if it fits (or doesn’t), and try again, they’re remembering what truly matters: friendship, finding their place, a spot where one’s borders (and sometimes awkward edges) are embraced.
A puzzle piece went missing the other day, and the frantic search began. Even a little unfinished (like we want our children to be), the final image was a thing of beauty.
This spring, let’s remember the joy of…puzzling through it all!