“You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.”

The unknown can be scary. Change can be scary. Uncertainty can be scary.

On August 3, 1492, three rather small seagoing vessels left Palos, Spain for a voyage to “the Indies.” It was uncertain and it was unknown. I’m sure it was scary. This was the famous or infamous voyage of Christopher Columbus and his crew. It was a voyage that marked a turning point in world history. We now know that they did not reach the Indies, but a large continental land mass of the Americas. It took great courage for these sailors to lose sight of the shore for months.

What about the “oceans” that we cross every day? I think about the first day of school that we just experienced. It is something new for students and teachers alike. New schools for some, new classrooms, new, new, new! This is an “ocean” for many, so they have to leave the comfort of their shoreline and sail. Everyone has an “ocean.” It could be a physical challenge. It could be a new job. It could be moving to a new city or town. It could be standing up for yourself. It could be all the “newness” of the first day of school. Think of the alternative of just staying close to shore. Nothing changes. Nothing improves.  

Personal or group progress requires courage to set out on that ocean and sail forward. Don’t hug the coastline. Don’t turn back. The sea might get rough, but the growth is in the journey and the destination. “I’m not afraid of storms as I am learning to sail my ship.” - Louisa May Alcott

The voyage of the 2025-2026 school year has begun. We are losing sight of the shore.