“Together We Can Do So Much”

Helen Keller once said, “Alone we can do a little; together we can do so much.” 

The past year has been a year of adaptability and perseverance both in my career as an educator and as a parent. It has been simple to recognize the effort of those closest to me and appreciate how supportive they have been in making this school year feel successful. I was brought to tears a few weeks ago when I realized I had not identified some individuals who have been working exceptionally hard in my life.  

A few weeks ago, my 8-year-old daughter was quarantined and was unhappy about being confined at home. Each day, around the same time, I watched her put her shoes on and head to the driveway for a few minutes, and then come back in smiling. I thought maybe she was just getting some fresh air after remote learning. But as I watched her out the window, I was overwhelmed with emotion to see what she was really doing. 

Each day, she would stand in the driveway, and her bus driver would stop and tell her that she missed her. The smile on my daughter’s face was one of pure joy, and one that I couldn’t give her on my own. The bus driver could have kept driving or looked the other way, but she made an effort every day of that quarantine to make my daughter feel loved and missed in a time when she felt disconnected.

Bus drivers have the important task of getting children to and from school safely, and I have always appreciated that. But this was different. The kindness that was shown by her driver is something that I am sure she sees frequently, but I was finally fortunate enough to notice.

This simple gesture guided me to start noticing all of the other people who are doing simple things in my family’s life every day that makes a difference. I know that each day I am doing my best to navigate a challenging year, but I am humbled to realize that Helen Keller was right; alone I am doing a little, but together we are doing so much!

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Jill Nicosia

Jill Nicosia is a fourth grade teacher in the Gifted Academy at Thurgood Marshall Elementary, and she loves teaching mathematics! Jill has also taught students in first, third, sixth and seventh grade. Jill is the mother of children, ages 8 and 14.