As teachers, we celebrate the end of each year twice. And often the end of each school year brings bittersweet emotions. Many of us carry a lot — plans, memories, stress, relationships and emotions from the year. Not to mention, the seasons within our own personal lives.

June is a time to pause.

Not to judge the year, and not to replay every mistake or “should have,” but to simply notice what has been.

Reflection is about being a kind, honest witness to your own experience. We did a lot this year. We grew. We learned. We showed up, even on the hard days.

Take a moment to ask yourself:

• What went well this year?

• What challenged me?

• What am I proud of?

• What am I ready to let go of?

There is no right answer—just awareness. No judgment. No excuses. No explanations.

And from this nonjudgmental awareness, we begin to release.

The end of the school year is full of goodbyes. Some are happy, some are hard, and some are a little of both. It’s okay to feel all of it.

But you don’t have to carry it all forward.

Your heart remembers what it needs to...the good moments, the lessons, and the connections. The heart does not need to hold onto the stress or weight of it all.

Summer is your chance to come back to yourself.

To rest. To breathe. To slow down. To reconnect with your life outside of school.

Underneath everything, your natural state is not exhaustion.

It is lightness. It is love. It is freedom.

As June unfolds, let yourself reflect, let yourself release, and let yourself step gently into a new season.