What if…

This is a question that has been on my mind constantly since we made the decision to return to Canada at the start of COVID. It was an easy decision in the moment, made with the best intentions to keep our family safe. But what if…

We would be at a much different school, one which I do not think would have been able to offer the opportunities we have now.

We would not have been able to spend almost 2 years in BC, close to my Mom and giving our kids a chance to build a relationship with her that would have been impossible given our lifestyle and professional goals. That alone is priceless.

We wouldn’t have had the experience of working back in BC and getting the chance to clear some of the jaded perspective we held about it. It was definitely an experience that has made me a more empathetic leader and one, in hindsight, I wouldn’t trade.

Until this year I have rarely considered this question, I didn’t find the process of reflecting on a hypothetical valuable. But at this stage it is allowing me to see the good in the path we have followed. Yes, I miss aspects of what could have been, and regret aspects of our old lifestyle that has been lost, but given all of that I still don’t think I would change anything.

I had my first day with all the faculty yesterday, the feedback was positive, they are a good group of educators who definitely make the school feel like a community. It reinforced we made a good decision and managed to land in the right spot for us at the right time.

What if…I think I will continue asking the question, but on a smaller scale, helping me to reflect and recognize opportunities in my day-to-day life and work. One of the other pieces I have learned recently is how important it is to be focused on the moment and what is to come, rather than dwell on what was.