As we approach winter with our multiple snow storms and near constant changes in temperature, we each have our own view of whether we wish it would be a more traditional New England winter or a milder, less snowy winter. Despite the weather, I see an increased desire on the part of our students to get to the holiday break so they can enjoy their time off. With Gateway instituting ‘Blizzard Bags’ for some of our school cancellations, one can also see differences between students in thinking of an earlier release from school in June. Most students will appreciate being out by mid-June but some of our seniors seem to feel ‘cheated’ as they won’t be able to miss making up the work and won’t be getting out so much earlier than everyone else. As noted by many, change is neither good nor bad and our attitude towards the change depends on whether we view ourselves as reaping some sort of benefit from the differences.
This is the same for those who have difficulty embracing the multicultural aspects of the holiday season and the need to be cognizant of the different ways that people celebrate at this time of year. For this reason, I wish everyone a joyous and wonderful “Holiday” season for, despite whether you observe Kwanzaa, the Winter Solstice, Hanukkah, Christmas, or some other celebration, much of what the world celebrates has common themes – positive change, hope, peace, family, and belief in an entity bigger than ourselves. It appears that for most, the words of Buddha may ring true, “Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life.” The idea of working together as families, friends, communities, countries, or mankind is common but often difficult to practice consistently and with fidelity.
I hope that everyone is able to take a moment to reflect on the positives in their lives for, despite the realities of the difficulties each of us face on a daily basis, we are blessed in so many ways. We live in an area of abundant natural beauty, supportive communities, and living such an extravagant life that much of the world cannot even conceptualize – being able to read, own a car, sleep in their own home, and have so much low-cost food available that dieting is the biggest nutrition topic in our media. Despite this wealth and privilege we still have pockets of poverty, a growing disparity between the haves and have-nots, and a growing number of the 1% who have found the words of Charles Kuralt to be true, “The love of family and the admiration of friends is much more important than wealth and privilege.”
I recognize that the world continues to face obstacles to peace and prosperity and that what happens in the home, at school, and in the smallest town reflects struggles and problems on a national or international level. Even the celebration of different events at this time of the year has lead to disagreements, challenges, and lack of respect. Each time we are able to work through differences in a respectful, fair and equitable manner and can put the needs of the majority ahead of the desires of the individual, we find that the differences are often less drastic than what we first believed and the solution less distasteful than originally thought. As the Dutch Clergyman Henri Nouwen wrote, “Did I offer peace today? Did I bring a smile to someone’s face? Did I say words of healing? Did I let go of my anger and resentment? Did I forgive? Did I love? These are the real questions. I must trust that the little bit of love that I sow now will bear many fruits, here in this world and the life to come.” How we multiply this process from a few to the many may be the eventual answer to settling many of the disagreements we all face on a regular basis.
I wish everyone the best this season and ask that you remember to count our blessings as Americans. May this season fulfill your dreams, bring you faith in the future, hope for better times, and opportunities to share the positives in your life with neighbors, friends, and family.
