First, I want to say thank you to those who wrote to wish me a happy birthday (after the very subtle announcement in my last letter). Please excuse the blanket thank you. I was genuinely touched by each and every message, it’s just that I didn’t have enough time between my seven meals a day while I was in France to reply individually and then I was swamped by mask-mandate-related meetings and correspondence the minute school started back!
We all have our own personal mask stories to tell. Mine started a little over two years ago in Asia when the entire continent masked up faster than you could say “COVID.” Since then, I’ve worn hundreds of them in all shapes and colors (when Andria and I used to go to the pharmacy in Taipei to collect our weekly ration—distribution was organized by the state to prevent hoarding—we always hoped we’d get black (the coolest) or pink ones (the prettiest) but we invariably ended up with pale green (the ugliest).
At first, I actively hated having to wear a mask but resigned myself to it as the months passed until I got to the stage that wearing one was just a reflex—I can’t even begin to count the number of times I searched frantically for my mask among the papers on my desk only to find I was already wearing it. I used to daydream about the lifting of the mask mandate, imagining a global celebration when we would all rip them off and toast our refound freedom.
But that hasn’t happened. Our refound freedom is the freedom to choose. We’ve lived with COVID for too long to really believe that we have definitively put it behind us, we continue to have cases in our community, and New York City hasn’t lifted its mandate (yet). Worries, concerns, stress, and personal situations have prevented the collective trashing of masks that I once imagined. But unlike most personal choices that we make, this one can be seen on our faces.
Now is the moment to talk to, support, and understand each other. We are very aware of the importance of this moment at The École and we are happy to see that our students are leading by example. While adults are questioning things and wondering what approach to follow, the kids are taking it in their stride—taking their masks off, leaving them on, or alternating between the two. They are doing whatever makes them (and their parents) feel comfortable and they are not questioning other children’s choices. We will, of course, remain vigilant and make sure things stay that way but right now it seems as if the excitement of Wednesday morning has already passed and the kids aren’t really talking about masks anymore.
I cannot end this email without mentioning, on behalf of the entire community, that we are all thinking of our Ukrainian families during these extremely painful times. One of the families has shared this list of much-needed supplies if you would like to make a contribution. We are also accepting donations of the items on this list; there will be boxes in the lobbies of the Materelle and Elementary & Middle School Buildings from next Monday where you can drop off any donations you have. The items on both lists serve as devastating proof of the extent of the disaster and the hardship the Ukrainian people are facing.