Mrs. Pawlik: The Extraordinary in the Ordinary

Mrs. Pawlik, 5th Grade
December 2020

As the setting autumn sun dips below the horizon off the bow of our boat, I am captured by its beauty. Vibrant hues fill the sky, which is difficult to discern from the foliage along the shoreline. The sunset casts lavender hues in the sky behind us, creating a purplish glow to the water off the stern. Beauty exists as we look to the future and remember our past. I breathe deeply.

As you read this, autumn will be having it’s last dance, the final hurrah before the stillness of winter sets in. I think that fall has always been particularly special to me, and you might assume that it is because I am a teacher. After all, why wouldn’t a teacher adore fall? As a matter of fact, I used to think that perhaps one of the reasons I became a teacher was because I loved fall and school supplies.

Long before I knew my destiny, the crispness in the air, the purest blue skies and glorious sunsets that are bountiful in autumn created wonderful memories. The crunch of leaves mingling with that lovely woodsy smell of fireplaces and leaf piles waiting for company, made my heart dance. Packing my brand new school supplies, the smell of a fresh box of crayons and their perfectly sharpened points lined up ready for my imagination to take hold of them beckoned to me. As the natural world is preparing for sleep, the hope of new beginnings glides on freshly polished floors.

Little did I know, when I was young, and even as I entered college, that being a teacher would become part of my identity. You see, like many college freshmen and perhaps some of you, I entered college on one path. However, as I explored and navigated my way through college I found myself at a different destination.

Life will offer you many opportunities to change course or set a new path, and I have found those journeys to be the most enjoyable. Let yourself explore, allow yourself the grace to try things and perhaps fail, knowing that you will end up being exactly where you need to be.

I have spent the past 32 years greeting autumn with new students, which has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. For thirty one of those years I have been a Porter, it’s where I needed to be. I find it almost mind boggling to consider that I have spent more years on this planet being a Porter than not. While I know that some of you have held lifetime memberships to this club, and some of you are new Porters...Porter Pride unites us. During your elementary years, you may have spent time in my classroom, or perhaps we only know each other from a hello in the hallway. Each student (past and present), their families, my colleagues and the extended school community shares part of the Porter family name.

Greenport School is unique in the sense that we continue to have contact with each student throughout their whole school career. I have always delighted in seeing former students as they grow into young adults ready to graduate, and cherish the moments when we run into each other long after graduation to catch up. My former students have made me a “teacher grandma” and some have even become favorite colleagues! Though each of our stories are unique we are united by the title Porter, which has taught me some of life’s most valuable lessons.

Within these halls and walls is a sense of belonging, a sense of history and a hope for our future. The events of 2020 have proven that our school community bond exists despite any distance, and that our sense of being Porters is not diminished. Whether we are together, or apart, take care of yourselves and each other. Porters come together in times of great joy to celebrate and in times of great sadness to comfort. Understand that each of us is experiencing this pandemic in our own unique ways, yet none of us remain untouched by it. In recent months we have all lived through history changing events. Let the pages of the future history books tell the stories of people helping each other and deepening our understanding of each other. Though our smiles are covered by masks, let others see your kindness and let your smile light up your eyes. Seek opportunities to let people know that you care. There is a strength in Porter Pride that can overcome even the darkest days.

Each day being here, part of the Porter family, is a gift. As author Katrina Kenison wrote in her book, The Gift of an Ordinary Day , “It has taken a while, but I certainly do know it now - the most wonderful gift I had, the gift I finally learned to cherish above all else, was the gift of those perfectly ordinary days.”

All of us will experience extraordinary moments in our lives, those days when you can truthfully declare that it was the “best day ever!” Of course, I hope for many of those for each of you. My challenge to you though, is to find the gift in the ordinary days. Pause, when you notice the beauty of a sunset or hear the quiet splash of lavender waters dancing behind you. Find the extraordinary in the ordinary, the subtle difference that sets it apart from the rest. Just like you!