Choosing Gratitude: A Message from Ms. Corbin

Dear Cathedral Community,

 

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. We can take a break from the blur of school and work, we can eat our favorite side dishes and desserts, and we can connect with loved ones we might rarely see throughout the course of the swiftly ending year. 

 

We know that the holiday season can be difficult for some of us, too, and this year is no different in that regard. It may be difficult to feel thankful at a time when so many things that are important– and not just important, but essential– are out of reach for people we care about in our communities and around the world.

 

These difficult moments, when feeling or expressing gratitude seems hardest, are the moments when those expressions are most needed, most critical. Gratitude keeps a lonely night time from stretching too long, and being thankful is not dependent on how well things are going at any particular time. Gratitude, ultimately, is a choice. It’s a choice to be hopeful. It’s to choose, even just briefly, to spot the sun instead of the clouds. And gratitude helps us to remember that when there are clouds, the sun will return. 

 

There are those with the discipline to stay in constant touch with their gratitude. Some write in a journal. Others use prayer or meditation. My practice is to try my very best to take moments each day to notice something for which I am grateful. Today it was seeing Upper School students and colleagues at their silliest during the Turkey Trot on the Big Playground. It was receiving your best wishes for the holiday break as we greeted each other on the driveway this morning. It was joining the Robot Thanksgiving Day Parade activity with the 3rd grade in the Library. It was witnessing today’s edition of the creativity, kindness, and encouragement that Cathedral faculty and staff members bring to our young learners and their grownups.

 

As we kick off this wonderful holiday break, I encourage each of you to pause between bites to take a deep breath and to say thank you and to be hopeful. I am thankful for you, this Cathedral community of which I am so grateful to be a part. And I wish all of you a very happy Thanksgiving. 

 

With gratitude,

Ms. Corbin