November is the month we celebrate Thanksgiving, which happens to be one of my favorite holidays. There are many reasons Thanksgiving holds such an important place in my heart. The first is based in the word itself, “thanksgiving.” A time to give thanks.
In my life, I have worked hard to always be thankful for the many blessings that have been bestowed on me. I have an amazing family which continues to support and love me, even when I make silly mistakes (which is quite often). I have an incredible job which allows me to work with some truly amazing teachers and staff that care greatly for our students and their families. I belong to a faith community that encourages me to grow as a person who loves and cares for others. I also have some wonderful friends who support me daily by encouraging and challenging me to be the best person I can be. I am truly blessed to be gifted with all sorts of opportunities that make life worth living. I love to give thanks.
The other day I was at church and the Gospel reading was the story of Bartimeus, the blind beggar. In the story, Jesus asked Bartimeus what he wanted, and it was a simple, honest answer.
“I want to see,” he said.
My mind started to reflect on something that I often take for granted, my five senses. We are in the season of giving thank. I am truly thankful for the ability to have my five senses. I also wondered how I could use my five senses to show love, care and gratitude for others.
Bartimeus wanted to see all of the amazing things around him. When was the last time you looked at the sunrise or sunset? Have you recently found the ability to see all of the potential a new day can offer? Each day that we open our eyes is a gift we have been given. It is time to be thankful for this gift, and truly see all the opportunities that lie before us.
The two senses that are often brought out during Thanksgiving are that of smell and taste. When was the last time you were out for supper or even eating at home and truly appreciated all that people have done to make your experience so memorable? Thinking of those in the world who don’t have enough to eat and considering them during one of our many times eating out should make us feel blessed with the opportunity to do that. Be thankful for the ability to take in a great meal with both our mouth and nose. Be appreciative that someone used their gifts to create something special just for you. Give thanks for the cooks, waiters, waitresses and dishwashers who make your dining such a special experience.
One of the greatest parts of my workday are the random hugs I receive walking down the hall or into a classroom. I think often about the importance of the sense of touch at this time. The ability to hold hands when we say our blessing, the ability to hug when something hurts or isn’t going the way we planned, the fist-bump and the high-five. All of these are important parts to my day. I would encourage you to make it part of yours. We all need to be touched, to know there is someone there who cares for us. In this age of texting, tweeting and posting, I would challenge you to do a bit more hugging, touching and just being together. Give thanks for the people in your life who you want to spend time with, and when you are together this holiday, put the phones and devices down and enjoy their company.
Finally, the sense of hearing is one of the greatest pleasures of a school day. The sound of laughter and learning can resonate endlessly. The questions and comments that come from a child’s mouth are priceless. The voices that float down our hallways from the music room often leaves me speechless. I can never tire of hearing “please” and “thank you” from our students as well as “I am sorry” and “I forgive you.” Our words are truly a gift from God. The ability to raise someone up by what we say and what we hear is an awesome responsibility. As we approach the month of giving thanks, make sure you use the words “thank you” so the people you love most can truly hear what you are saying. They deserve to know how much they mean to you.
As we bring on the holidays, I would ask you to take a moment to hone in on the five senses: sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch. These are truly amazing parts of our lives that we oftentimes disregard, forget about and take for granted. They are the gifts that keep on giving. Take the time to use them to better your own life, our community and our world.
Life is such a gift. Please make sure you give thanks for yours.
— Joe Peters is the principal at St. Victor School in Monroe. His column appears on the second Saturday of each month. He can be reached at joepeters@stvictormonroe.org.
