I’m scared. I’m scared to return to work as a high school teacher with COVID looming, but there is something deeper. I’m scared to leave the safe bubble of my home where I’ve been hiding with my family since March because everything beyond these walls feels like chaos. I’m ready and willing to make sacrifices for the greater good, but I feel more like a political pawn than an ambassador of safety, compassion, and unity. Instead of being inspired to do my part for a better tomorrow like the Greatest Generation, I’m watching every opportunity to unite our country become a divisive tool for political gain. Politicians pivot their agenda like businessmen seeking profits while destroying the credibility of their opponents instead of working together to gain our trust and guide us towards the greener pastures of tomorrow. Money can’t be the driving goal. Without the foundational belief that we each have a role in building a brighter future for us all, we’re left with the destructive outcomes of fear, anger, and greed. When we model fear, children lose. When we model anger, children lose. When we model greed, children lose. If teachers can’t model hope, service, and love, while making students feel safe, we’re not helping our students regardless of whether we’re in the building or not. These challenges give us another opportunity to decide whether to unite in love or compete for our self-interests. I will gladly make sacrifices for love, but don’t put teachers on the front lines to support leaders promoting anger, fear, and greed. Our children need us to find our way back to love.