Together on the Journey:
A Weekly Blog 

This coming week is a busy one. It’s the last week of school for our friends at KCS. And for the last few weeks, there has been a buzz in the air.

This buzz contains all kinds of emotions. From the excitement of the upcoming summer holiday, to the thrill of end-of-year activities, to the nervousness of leaving KCS and going to a new place in the fall. The end of the school year buzz contains all of these emotions and more, and it got me thinking about endings.

If you are a graduating 8th grader, then you will (assuming you didn’t change schools at some point) have spent 10 years in this same place, which for a 13-14-year-old, is a significant portion of their young lives. That’s why I think all of the special ceremonies this coming week are so important, because they hold all of these emotions together while saying goodbye in a way that shows how important this ending is. And while it may be an ending that is also a beginning, it draws to an end a chapter in life and says, ‘You were here. This was important. We will remember you. We wish you the best in your next chapter.’

Because whatever that next chapter holds, they will take everything they learned at KCS with them. Every lesson, including the difficult ones, will guide them as they leave this place. And for us, whether we are currently getting ready for our own transition or not, we can all remember going through one. We can remember the butterflies, and the excitement, and the nervousness. And we can also remember those who guided us through.

And so this week, and for all of June, we will pray for our friends at KCS. May their summer be restful and may they return rejuvenated in the fall. And for those who are not returning, may their next chapter welcome them with open arms, and may they take the love of this community with them. Amen.

– Jess