Why give thanks - the final cuppa before the tea runs out!

A teacher once remarked “at the end of the day, it’s not about the lesson plan. It’s not about the fancy stuff  teachers and others at  schools make,the crafts we do, the stories we read or the papers we laminate. No, that’s not really it. That’s not what matters most.

They won’t remember how organized your bulletin boards were. How straight and neat  desk rows were.

Nor, will they remember that amazing decor you’ve designed.

But they will remember you.

Your kindness. Your empathy. Your care and concern. They’ll remember that you took the time to listen. That you stopped to ask them how they were, how they really were. They’ll remember the personal stories you tell about your life: your home, your pets and your kids. They’ll remember your laugh. They’ll remember that you sat and talked with them while they ate their lunch.”

As teachers and staff we hope at the end of the day we have made a difference in the children’s lives.

If a student wakes up in the morning and wants to come to school then that is a great sign.  If they finish the school day wanting to come back the next day that is also great.  At one level we have done our job.

A person’s happiness is the key to everything in life.   

Every child is special, bright and gifted because every child, like you and I, have God within us.  But we are often too quick to parade our child as better than others.  To me, a child’s happiness is the core gift and value in life which will then transfer, hopefully, into adulthood.

The greatest disservice we can do for our children is to pressure them beyond their limits.  Yes, we all want them to be successful but if success is at the price of happiness then we do success a disservice.

We are all on our own journey.  None of us know the path this will take.  At times it will be rocky and other times a breeze.  The God we believe in says to us to find the blessing in whatever we are doing and give thanks.  When we give thanks, we learn something about ourselves and therefore about God.

In chapter 25 of Matthew’s Gospel, we find  the story of the Sheep and the Goats.  A wonderful story which in many ways is a list we could keep to check off at the end of our lives.

I can assure you, that when we have our meeting with God, to enter eternal life, God will not ask what score we got in our VCE, or why we couldn’t play an instrument, etc.  But the God I believe in will ask whether I was kind, forgiving, loving and happy.

This is not to dismiss academia in any way but it is time we focused on what life is really about.  If there was a blessing in the lockdown this year it was the blessing of looking at the priorities in our lives.  The quiet streets were a blessing to many, the curfew for many was a blessing, crime was down, people having dinner around the kitchen table was up, board games were up and parents saw much of what their children were learning in remote learning.

Now that we are coming out of lockdown, have we returned to the past rat race or have we started to live in a different way?

Joan Chittister says, “All of life cannot be planned. Our life is God’s and gratitude is its key”.
 
She says, “Giving thanks to God is good psychologically to keep our thoughts light and full of energy. It is not true, psychologists tell us, that we think the way we feel. On the contrary, we feel the way we think, and thoughts can be changed.
 
Giving thanks to God is good spiritually. That is the beginning of contemplation.
 
Giving thanks to God is good socially. It makes us a positive presence in a group. (Only negative people want to be around negative people.)
 
We need to stop and thank God—consciously—for the good things of the day. We spend so much time wanting things to be better that we fail to see our real gifts.   The ordinary is what reveals to us, little by little, inch by inch, “the holiness of life, before which, we bow down in worship.”

Do we ever stop to just Give Thanks?  How often do we stop and say, Thank You God?

To be more than Catholic by name is to take these little things seriously.  Giving Thanks is a courtesy we all want, and so too does God!

And back to the start….as my four year contract  concludes in January 202, I say farewell to the Federated Schools of Holy Trinity Parish.  I say thank you to the Staff, Students and Families for all you have given me these past four years.

I say thank you to Fr Michael Sierakowski whose vision was the birth of a wonderful and inspiring collaborative leadership which gave Michael Juliff, Lynda O’Donnell, Catherine Tammesild, Michael Hanney and myself a supportive network in what are, at times, lonely positions.  Sadly, the vision was not seen worthy enough to continue and for that I am saddened and disappointed.  

But I do not allow disappointments to stop what has been a joyful and happy four years where I truly believe I have learnt more than I was able to give.

If any of the students ever remember me perhaps they will remember two things: The optimism of a true Dees supporter and the different wacky socks worn every day at School!  Hopefully they saw in me the joy, peace, compassion and love to others and oneself that can come from following and loving God.

As we all continue our journey in life may everyone be kind to each other, gentle with each other and show the love and empathy that Jesus showed to all who came in contact with his message of love.

Edward Dooley (Mission and Faith Leader)