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Dear Children's School Families,
As a child, whenever on my way to a birthday party or to visit with relatives, my mother would always say, “Remember your pleases and thank you’s.” Through the years, this was – sadly – met with varying degrees of annoyance and resignation on my part. Over time, however, I’m happy to report that I adopted this exercise on my own accord. As I grew, it became something I imparted unto my own children as well when their worlds began expanding beyond the boundaries of our home.
In this season of giving, I’m reminded not only of the valuable lessons I both learned and taught, but also that showing gratitude should be intentional; a conscious action. It is one thing to think of the people, places, and events we are thankful for, yet another to actively express our appreciation for them. This action was frequently modeled for me by my parents and other mentors in my life. For example, I can recall my father speaking of people he worked with and how he regularly let them know of the lasting impact they had on his daily experiences. And, my mother did the same.
To effectively live in a world filled with appreciation and gratitude for all that is good, we must actively practice expressing these sentiments in our everyday lives. While raising our children, my husband and I regularly encouraged our family to share their “Highs” and “Lows” at the dinner table, as each of us expressed a good thought from the day along with something that did not go so well. This practice allowed us a glimpse into our children’s days and provided opportunities to discuss topics like friendship, decision-making, and being accountable for one's own actions. And, this unique connection forged by healthy and frequent discussion stays with my family today.
In addition to verbally expressing admirations, my parents taught me the art of writing a “Thank you” note from the heart. Now living in the age of email and inevitable digital communications overload, I am a die-hard believer in the value and special meaning behind a hand-written thank you note. Last week, I happened upon two classrooms of students who were tasked with writing letters of appreciation to our veterans for Veterans Day. Living in Colorado Springs, one is never closer to seeing, first-hand, the sacrifices and commitments made by military personnel and their families to ensure our nation can continue to experience the freedoms we won so long ago. In these exercises, our children – guided by faculty – acknowledged their gratitude and actively gave thanks to our nation’s heroes. The satisfaction they experienced in writing these notes is proof that we get back more than we give.
As we enter Thanksgiving break, I invite you to keep this trend going. Take some time over the coming week to pause, consider and actively share with your children and others what you are truly grateful for. Personally, working with our Children’s School faculty on behalf of your children is something I give thanks for each day. Our faculty’s dedication, passion and love – combined with your children’s curiosity, wholesomeness and joy – is a true privilege to be around. Thank you for sharing them with us here at CSS.
I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving week.
Sincerely,
Jody
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