Weathering the Storm

We all face storms.

Some arrive suddenly—unexpected, loud, and disorienting. Others gather slowly, almost imperceptibly at first, until we realise we’ve been walking beneath heavy clouds for far too long.

In schools—and in life—there are times where it feels like the rain might never stop. Pressures mount, energy wanes, and the light feels hard to find.

But we weather storms not only with strength, but with support. And rarely alone.

Who might walk into the storm with you?

There are people—if you look closely—who quietly step beside us when the skies darken. They don’t always have solutions. But they bring warmth, perspective, or simply the reassurance of presence.

Sometimes it’s a friend or colleague. Sometimes a coach, a mentor, or someone unexpected. Someone who says, “You don’t have to carry this on your own.”

They may carry an umbrella for you, or stand in the rain while you find yours.

What protects you when things get rough?

Resilience doesn’t mean never feeling the storm. It means having the right gear when it hits.

For some, it’s perspective—the ability to step back, to remind yourself this is a moment in time, not a forecast for life.
For others, it’s boundaries—knowing when to rest, when to say no, when to leave something for another day.
Kindness, too, becomes a shelter. Not from others, but from yourself. Especially when the inner critic is the loudest thunder of all.

And then there are the less visible but equally vital protections: hope, humour, patience, the small rituals that ground us when everything else feels uncertain.

Not all storms are meant to be avoided

As hard as it is to say in the middle of it, some storms bring clarity.
They wash away what’s no longer needed.
They reveal what’s been hidden under long dry spells of busyness.
They remind us what matters—and what doesn’t.

When you’ve walked through one, you come out changed. Sometimes softer, sometimes stronger, often both. You don’t emerge untouched—but you do emerge.