By Lisa Gsellman.
This past weekend I had 16 kids in my 1000 square foot house. Full size kids that take up a lot of space. The massive pile of shoes by the door… I wish I’d taken a photo for this post. It was impossible to not bump into each other but there was not one complaint. The tight quarters served the kids well with just what they needed; connection and memories. There have been a lot of memories at the Gsellman house and with River headed off to college next year I’m dreading how quiet it will be around here. There is a so much comfort though, knowing that my home has been one where friends have bonded over fun or homework and always food since his 6th grade year. In my years at West Sound Academy I’ve been able to observe how powerful meaningful opportunities like this are for our students. I’ve also had kids in my office that have shared feeling lonely and friendless despite our small nurturing community. It’s not easy for every kid to make friendships and the more they can escape into screens, the harder it becomes.