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CHAD KNESEK

May 7, 2020

I heard a story once upon a time in my childhood about a rabbit who had built the most glorious burrow. She had searched every day for things that would make her home more comfortable. She collected straw from a nearby farmer’s field so that she would have a nice, soft place to sleep and found bits of paper that she was able to crumple and put near the entrance of her burrow to protect her from the wind and the rain. It was all that she had hoped for in a home and was happy in knowing that she would live out her days in the home she had so carefully built.

One day while the rabbit was outside seeing what she could see, she noticed a bird in its nest in a tree, singing to its heart’s content.  The rabbit asked, “Why are you so happy? Being in a tree can’t be terribly comfortable and certainly won’t protect you from bad weather.” The bird stopped its singing and replied, “I build my nest off the ground to keep my eggs from harm as I only need it until my children are old enough to fly away to begin their own lives.”

The rabbit laughed at the bird and said, “I’ve built my home to last a lifetime. Surely that’s a much better plan than working so hard on something that you will only use for a month or two.” 

The bird looked around its nest, looked up at the pale, blue sky and then down at the rabbit. “You see, a home is not only what you use to build it, but also what you build into it. My home is built for the memories that I will make here with my family even if it’s only for a short time. I will watch them hatch, feed them when they are hungry, keep them warm and safe and watch them grow. When they leave the nest, it’s doubtful that I will ever see them again and I must know that they always remember that they were loved in this place.”

I had not thought of this story in many decades and today, as it came rushing back to me, it all became clear. As a teacher, I knew that the message would soon arrive that our campus would remain closed for the remainder of the year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. That message did, indeed, arrive and I could not seem to stop the tears.

At first, all I could think about were my 5th-grade students…those kids that I had known and taught every year since they had been in Kindergarten. I thought of all the things we had not covered yet and whether or not they would be behind when they begin middle school in the Fall. My heart ached.

I then thought of the bird and its temporary home. Had I built such a home for my students? My classroom was a safe place for my students and my classroom was where I was able to watch them grow. But, now I face the reality that I may not ever see them again. How did the bird cope with the loss of family?

In the end, while my classroom is one of many on my campus, I know that mine has many wonderful, happy memories built into it, both for me and for my students. Years of memories flood my mind today…the inside jokes that stretched the laughter from year-to-year and the many “a-ha” moments when my students would master a new skill, just to name a few. And, I am confident that my students…my family…know they were loved in our home.

The bird was right. What we build into our homes is just as important as how we build our homes…even if it’s only meant to last a short time.

CHAD KNESEK is an elementary music teacher in Houston, Texas. He is currently working towards his PhD. in Curriculum and Instruction at Texas Tech University specializing in Language, Diversity, and Literacy.