Hello From Above and Below,

Here I am the night before another Friday class. It is homecoming week. I am sure my students will be distracted tomorrow. The campus will be full of guests, and life in Nashville will be in full swing.

Meanwhile, on another campus, sadness will be in the air, and the ground will be still. The students there will also be distracted by a series of events that led to their own loss.

We have a tendency to get lost in our own lives. The view from below is limited, but from above, a stark contrast is visible.

This world is full of pain. We need to take a moment to look at the view from above, to be reminded that there is a world beyond our own corner.

Today, our campus mourned with our sister campus. We took a moment to be still and stand with them.

We need to look out for each other. It is up to us to see beyond the trees.

Originally posted on November 9, 2018. This post was a reaction to the 2018 death of Alaina Housley, a freshman at our sister school, Pepperdine University.

This image is created with Midjourney using the following prompt: A forest of trees being shown from high above. The trees are changing colors. The vibe is cold and cozy.