May 13, 2020
Dear SSA Community,
The transformation of daily life in the Griffith household over the past two months has been extraordinary. Our kitchen has become a classroom, my bedroom is a spin studio, and daily calls with colleagues, trustees, and alums take place as I am walking the dog. My daughter, Colette, and I now play a quick game of "H-O-R-S-E" in the driveway after lunch each day to break up our virtual schedules.
Less remarkable than the shift in activities is how suddenly it all happened. We simply had no time to adapt, no time for conversation about how these new realities should inform our family rules, routines, and rituals. We were just surviving.
Our school year will soon reach its virtual end, and something will need to take the place of the mathematics screencasts in the dining room. I suspect the opening weeks of summer will feel very much like early March, another jolt to the family system.
Unlike March, however, we will have the chance to reflect on and learn from our initial quarantine experiences; we will have the chance to prepare. In a world where so much currently seems unknown and out of our control, I am grateful for the opportunity summer has always provided – time to reset, refresh, and start anew.
What household patterns have developed over these past eight weeks that we will want to change? And what new ways of living will we want to keep? A daily game of "H-O-R-S-E" with the kids doesn't seem like a bad idea after all.
Best,
Bart Griffith '93
President