Back to School Season is Here!

Giving advice and receiving advice really comes down to a very simple action that we so often don’t do enough or do very well: we ask. We can ask for advice and for perspectives checks from people who have lived through similar phases in life and in turn, those older mentors can ask if their perspectives are desired. In this way, we don’t attempt to control the narrative of anyone else’s story while still being generous, supportive, and kind.

I get sentimental about the return to school buzz this time of the year. I end up buying boxes of pencils even though I almost always write in pen these days or even more often type. I love the smell of those pink erasers and the pencil boxes and crayons. There is something so satisfying in cracking open a new box of crayons and see how perfectly neat those colorful tubes look inside their tidy, bright yellow boxes.

But having chatted with some of my nephews and nieces and reflecting back to those days that don’t feel that long ago when I was one of those students anticipating new teachers, new classmates, maybe even new schools entirely, I know that it’s sometimes easier to put on rosy-tinted glasses when we’re already through the challenges and now we can just look back with fondness on the good parts while by and large forgetting the hard days.

Our memories are sort of kind in that way. If we had to remember with glaring clarity all the hardships we faced years ago, we probably wouldn’t have nearly as much capacity for hope and goal setting and innovation or creative thought. But at the same time, dipping back into those challenges can help us develop empathy for people who are currently living through similar situations.

I remember as a teenager having seasoned adults make somewhat flippant comments about the challenges of high school or of deciding what to do after graduation or where to go to college or how to stay in contact with dear friends that I had gone to school with for years but might not see again. Thankfully, we have the chance to grow and broaden our perspective as we age and as we gain life experiences that can add nuance and greater contexts to these kinds of challenges. But it’s so important to remember that that greater context was earned by experience and years lived.

Human learning is not so simple as one person dumping knowledge and wisdom from one head to the other. It’s such a great gift to be willing to share learning from life experiences. And we should all take advantage of every morsel of wisdom we can lay our hands on because certainly none of us have this whole life thing figured out. But at the same time, we need to give space and respect for people experiencing challenges and changes for the first time.

Giving advice and receiving advice really comes down to a very simple action that we so often don’t do enough or do very well: we ask. We can ask for advice and for perspectives checks from people who have lived through similar phases in life and in turn, those older mentors can ask if their suggestions are desired. In this way, we don’t attempt to control the narrative of anyone else’s story while still be generous, supportive, and kind.