Next Week

Editorial Photo
Editorial Photo

Next week will be our 2020 Graduation issue. We will have a special section dedicated to our high school seniors. We are excited for this issue because it has been so much fun to work with parents and advertisers in putting it together.

So, why a special section for graduation? Normally, we would have, during the course of the spring, written about all the sporting events (and kept a keen eye on the girl’s rugby team), band concerts, and school happenings. Overstating the obvious, these and so many other activities did not occur this spring.

For all of us, students and parents alike, this pandemic has had its challenges. But for our seniors, a major milestone – the traditional graduation ceremony with cap and gown, family and classmates all together – has been taken away from them.

Indeed, so much of their identity has been put on hold and told to remain inside and not to gather with their friends. A family friend’s daughter was looking forward with great excitement to the spring of her senior year. She was co-captain of her varsity winter and spring sport teams (and an honor student). Then suddenly, the winter team was cancelled, and spring athletics never started. Almost everything she had worked so hard toward was no longer there for her.

This young woman and others that we have heard from have all said they understand. A pandemic changes everything. They are putting on brave faces and we applaud their stoicism. We also want to celebrate them. Next week we will.

All of the schools in town will be participating in our special graduation section. There will be editorial content from many of the schools as well. Parents have also asked if they can participate, so we have created an opportunity for them. We hope you join us in celebrating all our seniors.

As graduation ceremonies morph into an academic version of a fast food drive-though, we understand there is frustration in the community. This long winter and spring of “discontent” has understandably created COVID-fatigue. The uncertainty of what lies ahead does nothing to assuage that fatigue.

From where we sit today it is hard to tell what summer will look like. Phase 2 of reopening Connecticut is supposed to occur June 20. Phase 3 will bring more normalcy and opportunities for summer gatherings, but not until “some weeks later.” Our favorite summer destination, Maine, is asking out-of-state visitors to self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. That does not sound like much fun in the “vacationland” state.

For many, summer vacation and “camp” may be more of what we are experiencing now – mostly at home for the duration.

Fortunately, here in Greenwich we have truly remarkable natural resources we can take advantage of. Tod’s Point calls to us – we just can’t wait to get into the water. The trails of the Babcock Preserve offer, literally, a change of scenery. Tennis courts are opening, even for doubles play! Over the next few weeks, in our house we will be creating our summer camp taking advantage of all that Greenwich has to offer.

This week we came across a quote from Helen Keller that is part of the inspiration for this week’s editorial. “When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.”

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