This afternoon, in his daily COVID19 public address to the state, our governor officially announced that Illinois schools will remain closed and classes online for the rest of the school year.  While we assumed this was coming, the fact that it was put off and we were given false hope for the last several weeks made it more difficult to take.

We have a wonderful new superintendent this year, and he sent out a voice message and this letter to our entire district:

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It is difficult to process all of this.  For me personally, only minor inconveniences:

 *I am not able to work as a substitute teacher. I was supposed to cover a maternity leave teaching HS and JH health from 4/24 through the end of the school year, but now that classes are online the teacher will cover it during her leave (God bless her, with a new baby!)  

*I was also hired in January as the Theatre Club Sponsor for the high school, which includes directing the annual Variety Show...which is now a "no-go."

*I don't know whether or not to even bother planning to direct a fall play.

For Caeden, I think he feels that he will have opportunities to do all the things later, since he is a freshman.  But, he is struggling with focusing on his school work online.  And he really, really misses his friends.  He is thankful for Zoom classes, Fortnite with his boys, and SnapChat to keep him in touch with some people besides the ones in our house! 

Sylvia, on the other hand is missing out on a lot.  This most recent announcement was the straw that really broke the camel's back for her.  She has felt like she couldn't grieve things she's missing out on because she's not a senior, but today she did break down and cry, finally.  

She has (or will) missed out or can't move forward on:

*Performing in Guys and Dolls

*Going to Sectionals with the WYSE team

*Spring concert for choir, vocal jazz, band

*Being part of the induction ceremony for National Honor Society

*Junior Prom and AfterProm

*A chance to perform in the variety show

*Going on college visits

*Taking the SAT and ACT

*Walking as Honor Guard for commencement

*Going back to Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp this summer (closed for the year)

*And possibly the most devastating is that she won't get to perform the Haydn cello concerto as the featured Howard Rye soloist competition winner with the Bloomington Normal Youth Symphony this spring.  It is a really big deal, and we are all really sad for her and pray she will be able to compete again next year. 

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Although the announcement today doesn't change anything specific for Jeremy or Annah, they are both dealing with loss too.

It has been really hard for Jeremy to remain at home.  Not that he doesn't like being at home, but in his job, he thrives on the social interaction with others.  He was explaining to the kids the other day that it's not that he loves the content of his job, but it's the relationships and interactions with others that makes it enjoyable for him.

He also feels that way about going to the gym.  It is his sanctuary! He has cleaned the old weight benches in the basement and is using those every morning, but not having the social interaction at the gym is difficult for him.

Poor dear Annah is just really struggling to get through her coursework online.  Her theology and philosophy honors course is difficult and very time consuming for her. Music is not really something that works online. 

She is working with SIUe on her transfer for the fall and has an advising appointment to schedule classes next week.  However, she is really worried that the university will have to remain online even in the fall and it won't be worth it for her. Then when she thinks about that, she worries that music will be cut from schools for the near and foreseeable future, and getting a degree in music education would be fruitless.  She is very overwhelmed on a constant basis right now, and I am praying hard for her.

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Dealing with so many unknowns right now is so difficult.  Everyone is facing challenges.  People are getting angry.  Some are angry at the government.  Some are angry at the media.  Some are angry at protestors who are angry at the government. 

I am not angry. I am overwhelmed at times.  But I know there is only one person who holds the real truth. So I will look to Him.

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.

 No one can come to the Father except through me. 

- John 14:6 NLT