Letters from the Head of School

“Fire” by Judy Brown

What makes a fire burn
is space between the logs,
a breathing space.
Too much of a good thing,
too, many logs
packed in too tight
can douse the flames
almost as surely as a pail of water would.

So building fires 
requires attention
to the spaces in between,
as much as to the wood.

When we are able to build
open spaces
in the same way
we have learned
to pile on the logs,
then we can come to see how
it is fuel, and the absence of fuel
together, that makes fire possible.

We only need to lay a log
lightly from time to time.
A fire
grows
simply because the space is there,
with openings
in which the flame
that knows just how it wants to burn
can find its way.

Every morning at 9:58 am, Princeton Academy pauses for Espacio. En Español, espacio means space. In the Sacred Heart tradition, Espacio is a moment of silent stillness, deep reflection, mindful breathing, and meditative prayer. Espacio is a gift for all, and especially for our developing students. It is the “space between the logs…”

Springtime is busy. The season is busy in nature, the season is busy in our world, and the season is certainly busy in schools. There is a lot going on, all of the time. These days, it is easy to pile a lot of logs onto the fire. Let us remember that we all need a “breathing space” so that “the flame that knows just how it wants to burn can find its way”. I wish you peace and wellbeing.