Have you ever seen that account that rates people's Zoom/Skype/Video call backgrounds? I always get a kick out of them! Since some big changes are on the way (ie moving furniture around), I wanted to commemorate my current zoom background and share why it's so special to me.

To the educators who go the extra mile, who honour relationships with their students, who provide increased access to resources with no shame and provide safe spaces for connection that are increasingly valuable to the mental health of students: thank you for being so extra! We see you and appreciate you!

To the people who risk personal discomfort to address inequity when they see it - thank you! Your example is the medicine we all need to see at a system level to stomp out racism.

I miss hearing him say those words while he did this small physical gesture. So now I do it. As much and as often as I can. And I hear his voice when the words leave my lips: “I appreciate you”. And I have no choice but to put my hand on my heart to contain the love and the joy that he taught me to express that I want to share with others. It feels so special - because it is.

Did you hear about the rose that grew / from a crack in the concrete? / Proving nature's law is wrong it / learned to walk with out having feet. - Tupac Shakur