During the last few years, we were forced to transform our realities to adjust our lives and innovate as educators, as human beings, in ways we might not have thought possible. We innovated even while so many around us and around the world, sometimes those we loved, transitioned, were hospitalized or were in despair, directly affected by the pandemic. The pandemic, how we were forced to adjust to it, irrevocably changed how we live and who we are. Still, many choose to hold on to the hope that we will “return to normal.” We, however, argue that our normal will never be what we once knew, and we embrace that tension and our new realities. In the chaos of our current moment, grief, joy, and healing are intertwined and are generating a novel form of critical praxis and ways of being.  

We recognize that while our existence has been in turmoil, our humanity, and our ability to find joy and heal and be intentional in our experiences persisted. In this inaugural volume of In Dialogue/ En Diálago, we want to honor the messiness that comes with this transformation. We want to honor the seeds we planted, the roots that have begun to grow and the sprouts we wish to cultivate. The pieces herein reflect these transitions and growth. Sustaining dialogue/diálogo about grief, innovation, joy, healing, and uncertainty is critical not only to support one another, but to also generate new ways of being and doing in and out of our educational contexts. Readers, as you embark on these pages, you now become part of the dialogue.