Last week, Kelsey Edmunds, our Director of IT, came by my office to show me a thank you note written to her and the IT Department from students in Grade 7. Kelsey and her team were thrilled to have received the note that recognized their- often behind the scenes- work to support our girls.
As I sat down to write my blog on Family Day Weekend, I reflected on the impact of the girls’ note, and the power that gratitude can have. So often, in our day-to-day relationships, we are less apt to think about the impact of someone’s work or care on us.
Families- be they kin or communities- function best when there is a mutual appreciation for the effort and work that goes into supporting each other. The power of appreciation is unquantifiable but powerful. While so often we feel appreciation for another, it is important to remember to express it. William Arthur Ward, American author and poet, wrote, “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”
For me, having spent time with almost all of my family at some point this past weekend, I am so grateful for their unconditional support and love of me. With respect to our SCS family, I feel exceptionally grateful to work alongside a remarkable staff, curious, courageous and compassionate girls and young women, and supportive and committed parents and alumnae.
As we spend time with our own families and our SCS community, let’s not forget to give the present of gratitude.
