We have come to the beginning of another year and the beginning of a new semester at DRBU. The year is new, and yet it may seem that old anxieties and troubles are still with us. It is true that we have not yet been able to put the pandemic behind us. But as we turn over the final page on last year’s calendar, we can reflect on how we met the challenges we faced. At DRBU, we successfully came back in person after a year of doing almost everything on Zoom. We rose to the challenge of protecting the safety of our community by requiring vaccination, masking, and frequent testing. As a result, we experienced once again the joys of engaging in deep and searching inquiry in classrooms together with our peers. We were able to enjoy meals together in our beautiful courtyard, and we participated in “Bowing as Heart Cleansing,” an inspiring Contemplation Immersion week.

And now, once more, we begin. I look forward to the opportunities ahead of us.

Nourish beginnings, let us nourish beginnings.
Not all things are blest, but the
seeds of all things are blest.
The blessing is in the seed.

from “Elegy in Joy” by Muriel Rukeyser