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On Mondays at 10:00 AM, it takes about twenty-nine minutes for me to drive north from my house to St. Benedict Classical Academy. But I don’t leave at 10:00 AM… I leave at 7:05 AM, along with my daughter and two other students who live ten minutes farther from school. Then we drive another ten minutes to pick up three more SBCA students. With a car full of chattering children, we embark on the 11-mile drive to school. At 10:00 AM, this would take twenty minutes, but I am driving (along with the over 150 other families) at 7:30 AM – in the heart of rush hour traffic. So I pop the address into my GPS to find the quickest route. “Mrs. Casey, why do you need directions?” comes a voice from the backseat. I explain that I want to avoid traffic. But inevitably, we hit traffic, and the chorus chimes in, “Why did you take the traffic way?” I take a deep breath and try to explain the complexities of traffic and early morning commutes to my young copilots.

As the Schoolhouse comes into view, I hear, “Mrs. Casey, who are you going to drop off first?” Some days, the “big kids” chant “Preschool! Preschool!” but most of the time, they beg to be first so they can go play. Most days, I do as they ask and drop them off first, even though it means I now have to make “the loop”. Mr. Newsome opens the door as the gaggle of children clamber out of the car, waiting for the “all clear” to run down, drop their bags, and join the chaos and joy of morning recess. With a much quieter car, I turn right out of the parking lot. As I wait to turn onto Robert Sproule Lane, I consider whether to turn left onto Route 16, or to go straight to Union Street, and I wonder: Which line of cars will be more gracious and let me in? Which way will lead to a shorter stop at the red light? At 10:00 AM making “the loop” would take 90 seconds. But it is 7:40 AM, and along with hundreds of others, I’m navigating the rush through South Natick Center.

This morning, I turn back onto Eliot Street and make my way to the St. Placid Early Learning building. I look in my rearview mirror and see two little faces, eyes bright with excitement. My daughter says, “Ah, it’s so peaceful in here.” I smile, too, enjoying this quiet part of my morning commute, and the extra time with these two little ones before the school day begins. As we pull up, Ms. Ford opens the door and warmly greets us. I remind the children to be good friends (and good listeners), then drive away to complete “the loop” and head to work. This final leg of my morning commute, alone in the car, is peaceful. I still wait in traffic and wonder if anyone will let me turn, but if I allow it, it is an opportunity to pray and find peace.

At 8:00 AM, nearly an hour after leaving home, I walk through the doors of 2 Pleasant Street and am greeted by Mrs. Funk’s cheerful voice. I walk down the hallway to my desk, and in the stillness of the morning, before the children come inside, I feel Christ’s peace radiating from the tabernacle in the Chapel above. I sigh, because although it’s a journey to get here each day, it is worth it. The patience required to drive six children under the age of seven, the patience for traffic, for letting others merge, for making “the loop” over and over – these are opportunities each day for my heart to be stretched, for God’s grace to enter even deeper. I am grateful to be part of this community, filled with people who journey far, who make “the loop”, and who choose to show up each day with joy to make SBCA a place of saints and scholars. 

St. Christopher, patron saint of travelers, pray for us.

St. Monica, patron saint of patience, pray for us.

AUTHOR: Riley Casey, Director of Operations

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