As I write this December inaugural newsletter, there is so much that I want to communicate.  It does not seem fair to have to choose.  With that said, it is my hope to communicate with you one word that encompasses most of our experience during the first part of the school year. It is something that I have been working on instilling in your children.  That word is gratitude, and the focus has been on what being grateful really means, how important it is to practice being grateful for little things, the positive emotional effect that it has, and that fulfilled people practice expressing gratitude every day.

On a personal note, practicing gratitude is one of the exercises that really made a difference for me to get through previous experiences. I understand it now on a different level from the start of this past summer.  Before the summer, I felt like I needed to practice gratitude through difficult times and circumstances that were the result of people around me.  One of the only things that I could control was finding things to be grateful for, to help counter any negativity, but also to simply feel good.  Then, as I went through the summer, there was a shift in my perception of the practice of gratitude. 

There were many highs and lows this summer and things would change almost on a daily basis.  People and opportunities came and went as seemingly fleeting and as quickly as thoughts come and go.  As the first two weeks of the summer passed, I began to realize how important it was to solidify a vision and a plan, all within the context of gratitude.  I began to realize that it was not people and circumstances that ultimately had control over me and my emotions or thoughts.  My own reactions and choices of what to focus on and what action plan to have were what guided my circumstances.  All of this and more prepared me for the school year and for the opportunity to incorporate what I have learned into my day to day interactions with your children.