Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Holiday Message for My Faculty

Each year I stuggle with how to thank my faculty and staff for all they do.  I try my best to think of something meaningful to share with them a few times a year.  During the holiday season we have a unique opportunity to renew and recharge.  I want to send them home with a small token of appreciation, and a message that inspires them and sets the stage for the new year.  This is what was  on my heart this year.


“Snowflakes are one of nature’s most fragile things, but just look what they can do when they stick together.”
When I read this quote recently I was struck with that feeling I get- the one when I know there was a reason I saw it at that exact time and place.  The feeling I get when I know I need to slow down and really process it. 
The more I thought about it, the more I knew this was the holiday message I needed to send to my faculty and staff:
              We are very much like snowflakes.  Each one of us is special, unique, and one of a kind.  Each one is beautiful in its own way, but alone we are fragile. We can easily feel weak and unable to bear all the responsibilities in our lives.  However, when we come together, something truly magical can happen.  We combine our strengths, our differences, and our talents.  We grow stronger, and together we create something entirely different- something wonderful.  Together, we can mold and shape our future.  We are no longer fragile.  We are strong, powerful, and creative.  We are no longer a snowflake, but a snow drift- a force to be reckoned with.
As we leave for the holiday and prepare to begin our new year, remember, we are stronger together.  Together, we can create magic and meaning and affect change every day.
In your mailboxes, you will find a simple snowflake ornament.  I hope this will serve as a reminder that though we may be fragile alone, we are strong and powerful when we work together.
Many thanks for all you do each day.
Have a blessed holiday season.  

Kerrie