Bob is recuperating after pacemaker ….

Bob is recuperating after pacemaker surgery. The recovery is going well and he should be returning soon to column writing. His son, Mark, is filling in this week.

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Working in a middle school confirms the saying about needing a village to raise the kids. TRG Land continues to live by the other part of the adage - great neighbors are always there when we need them. In Dad’s case, the neighbors in a time of need were Barb Lucht and Dave Esselman on a Saturday morning post office visit.

It was altogether fitting to be Memorial Day weekend in Loyal when Dad’s spell happened. Barb is one of those people who honors our commitment to community we lift up each year in late May. Dave Esselman’s service means so many were protected and healed.

Dad’s own considerate timing was good. Most of us would get sick during the final school week or on graduation night. I had both in my rearview mirror by Saturday morning.

Our district retirement list topped 400 years of service this year. My daughter noted how many have retired in the wake of the class of ‘21. This year the list included her English teacher. Somehow, being the other bookend of someone’s teaching career doesn’t make me feel any younger.

Despite the morning snow, the rare outdoor graduation ceremony was pleasant. Beaming smiles and bright futures are the payoff in any school year. I’m blessed to have a kid with both in abundance.

It will take a generation to figure out which class of students are hurt the most by COVID-19, violence, and racism which swirled around us in the past 14 months. Our school has missed about 95 days of direct student contact in the past three years. One thing is certain already, there will be little gaps of missed lessons. The students who do the best job of acknowledging and closing those gaps will survive the best.