Girlband: The Letter A

-T.S. Elliott

As a teacher and single mother of four-year-old twins, quarantine has been a blessing for me and my daughters. Schools are closed, so I get to stay home and teach them the beginnings of language. I try my best with their school packets and workbooks. But as a teacher, I know I teach the best when I’m being authentic. Worksheets have their place, but we found ourselves getting frustrated with each other. Seeing as this may be my only time to be a stay at home mom, I took matters into my own hands. We started our own unit. I found a different trail, hiking spot, or point of interest for every letter of the alphabet near or around our city of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The natural beauty and sparsely populated nature of my state made this project ideal for social distancing.

The letter “A” was for a small farming community called Algodones, about a 25-minute drive from my house. I found it on accident as I was looking for entrances to the Rio Grande River that were lesser known. I stumbled across the Angostura Dam - score! Two A’s in one day. We walked across the dam and talked about the power of water, how it can be dangerous and yet something we need to survive. A is for agua. As we got into the thicker brush, I heard the sound of a stream. We found an isolated beach area with seashells, warm sand, and the occasional kayaker. We ended up staying all of the morning until lunch time, entertaining ourselves by writing “A” in the sand, building sand moats, and collecting as many seashells as would fit in their tiny backpacks.

A is for “adventures.” Quarantine is overwhelming for us parents. Online learning is a small Band Aid over a gaping wound that we are all collectively feeling. But in that moment, in Algodones, New Mexico, I felt alright. We were together. Nothing could touch us in that moment.

A is for “acceptance.” Last year’s words were deadlines, concerts, rush hour, daycare, hair appointments, in-service days. This year’s words are still meant to be discovered. I am grateful to have two active angels (sometimes) to help me find our new language.

A is for “adapting,” “awakening,” and doing it all again tomorrow.

JULIA MANGANARO IS A TEACHER OF MUSIC, LOVER OF ADVENTURES, AND A SINGLE MOM OF TWIN GIRLS LIVING IN NEW MEXICO.