What we miss

Collected here is a sampling of the countless moments, large and small, that I, my friends and our children are missing at this time of social distancing:

"You know what I miss? Thursday night baseball at Forest Hills, with four games in the meadow and four more games in the square, and people I know with kids playing all over the park and my own boys on back-to-back fields so I can watch them both at once. Then afterwards, heading to TavCo where we get an outdoor table right away because it's already after 9 and when we walk out onto the patio, my kids in their dusty uniforms and untied cleats, we see three different tables of friends who get up to hug us and pat the boys on the head (or shake their hands because they look sort of like men) and ask how their games went and then drag their chairs over to our table for another drink while we wait for our dinner. That's what I miss."

—Krissy Dietrich Gallagher, Cleveland Heights

“You know what I’ll miss? The joyous celebration of my Confirmation. Waking up with butterflies in my stomach and hearing church bells welcome us to 4 o’clock mass. Walking down the aisle, my heels clicking on the marble floor with my cousin Leah’s hand on my shoulder, the faces of my youth group surrounding and supporting me as the bishop officially welcomes us into the Catholic Church. I’ll miss proudly saying my Confirmation name. And after the ceremony I’ll miss joining my friends in possibly the most emotional group hug in history and spending the rest of the night celebrating with my family at a restaurant, hearing them say how immensely proud they are of me. That’s what I’ll miss.”

—Ruby Tugeau, eighth grade, Roxboro Middle School; St. Ann’s Church

“I don't want to complain about missing my son’s fifth-grade promotion but neither of us was ready to walk away from Fairfax without a proper goodbye. He has learned resilience there and is ready to move on to middle school, ceremony or not.  And we’ll miss the people we met more than the yellow roses and those touching speeches the kids typically give. But I will take a moment to remember the magic of extraordinary growth that occurred during these precious early years and share my profound gratitude. I will miss personally thanking the caring teachers and staff who took my quiet kid and coaxed him out of his shell, helping him to be comfortable speaking in front of the class, helping him gain insight and empathy within the complexities of the school's culture—two essential qualities modeled well by the teachers. He and I both met great people at Fairfax. That's what we’ll miss.”    

—Katrina and Andrew Heinzen, Cleveland Heights; fifth-grade, Fairfax Elementary School

“You know what I’ll miss? Having the opportunity to stand alone on my favorite stage and sing the senior solo I’ve been practicing for since freshman year. Holding hands with my peers as we sing "Let It Be Me" one last time at our final spring concert and cry in each others arms as the curtains close. Knowing that the beautiful prom dress hanging in my closet will get to sparkle under the sun as all of my greatest friends gather and make memories dancing and laughing. Getting to say ‘good morning’ and ‘have a good weekend’ to the teachers who have taught me more than I could ever begin to give them credit for and walking the stage at graduation as my last hoorah as a Heights High student. Being in that building where I’ve grown up and there was always something new happening. That’s what I’ll miss.”

—Lila Schubert, senior, Heights High

“You know what I’ll miss? All of the end-of-year rituals and festivities that allow us to close out our school year and prepare for the next. Things like revisiting our goals and seeing how much we have grown, and the orchestra concert, especially watching the third-graders play their recorders so earnestly. I’ll miss giving my students awards for things like “most likely to put a smile on your face” or “most thoughtful friend” or “super scientist.” I’ll miss walking up to the high school for Boulevard field day and seeing our new school garden revealing the fruits (and veggies and flowers) of our labor. I’ll miss the Boulevard Blast and how it allows us to celebrate the school year as a community. It really is the most fun way to ring in summer.”

—Julie Walker, fourth-grade teacher, Boulevard Elementary School

“You know what I’ll miss? My final high school lacrosse season as the team’s co-captain. I’ll miss what would have been a challenging year, and getting to know and bond with all of my new teammates. I’ll miss my team’s pre-game traditions and the long bus rides to and from games. I’ll miss having pasta dinners and joking with my co-captain about my coach. I’ll miss my senior night. But mostly, I’ll miss all the small moments that would have made us a team.”

—Rajani Tabor, senior, Heights High

Krissy Dietrich Gallagher

Krissy Dietrich Gallagher is a longtime resident of Cleveland Heights, a graduate of Heights schools, and a former Coventry School teacher. She is a freelance journalist under contract with the CH-UH City School District, and is proud to raise her two sons in this community. 

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Volume 13, Issue 5, Posted 12:32 PM, 04.30.2020