Tag: Thanksgiving

Categories
Holidays

Grateful for Gratitude

By Julie Murugen
Lakehill Preparatory School, English Department Chair, K-7

Thanksgiving is coming, the time of year when the words “grateful” and “gratitude” abound in advertisements, greeting cards, and church sermons. We are mindful of our blessings (especially those we can eat!), glad to spend time with friends and families, and moved to compassion for those less fortunate than ourselves. When prompted to list the things for which we feel grateful, we say family, health, home, safety, employment, friendships, and such universals. But a recent experience has made me rethink my priorities: I am most grateful for gratitude itself.

Recently, searching for the opportunity to trade apartment life for a home of our own, I got into a rut of focusing on what we don’t have, what we can’t afford, what neighborhoods won’t fit with our commutes, and other negatives. Lost in a self-generated labyrinth of limitation, I felt disconnected from the flow of happiness and well-being that I associate with the presence of God. Worse, I disparaged myself not only for having failed to accumulate sufficient savings, but for what I considered nearly unforgivable: feeling ungrateful for the bounty I possess in a happy marriage, a wonderful job, good friends, and more.

We looked at one more open house, and it would be a great happy ending if I could say it was our perfect answer. It wasn’t–it was far beyond our means. But we both instantly loved it, and suddenly the delight of being fully on the same page with my husband shattered the barriers that had seemed so daunting. At that moment, feeling access to free-flowing thankfulness was like a new life. Nothing had changed but my attitude, but everything had changed.

So, with all sincerity and goodwill, I can say to all, Happy Thanksgiving!

Categories
Family and Community

A Pause for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is one of the most important holidays of the year. It represents a pause in our activities to focus on the importance of goodness and family in our lives. As families, we actually take time from our hectic and active schedules to slow the pace, consider the wonders of our lives, and to pass on oral histories of our place and role in the world. The determination of our elders, to share the lessons they have learned, should be a continuing signal to us of how important our family history is and how it has shaped our lives and, in many cases, our opportunities.

This special time of the year encourages all of us to thank others for the things they do to have a positive impact on our lives. All of us at Lakehill Prep are fortunate that you have chosen to share your children with us. Each of us on the faculty and staff also chose this school, because we want children to find successes and to be prepared for the opportunities and challenges of the future. This school is a special place for children, and I appreciate everyone who gives of their time, energy, and finances to provide moments of “specialness” for all who enter our doors.  In keeping with the season of thanking those people who enhance our lives, special thanks goes to my wife, Virginia, who has continued to be understanding of the commitment I have to the profession of helping children.

I encourage you, during this season of Thanksgiving, to take a moment to thank your child for making your life challenging, exciting, and meaningful. And when an elder starts to recite that story you have heard many times, pause to remember that they probably had a great deal to do with making you who you are today and how you will handle the challenges of tomorrow.  This time in our lives will never pass this way again, so let’s enjoy it to the fullest.

Best wishes to you and your family for a thankful and memorable Thanksgiving season.

 

Categories
Family and Community

November in Texas

By Roger L. Perry
Headmaster, Lakehill Preparatory School 

The month of November is a very special time. The weather seems to change ever so slightly in October, but in November there is usually a hint that summer is almost complete. Yes, I know that it seems outrageous to people in most of the United States to say that summer is just now ending, but remember last week almost every day topped out in the eighty degree category.

There is something special about the seasons changing, the leaves falling, and the temperatures becoming more comfortable. At a recent meeting held at Lakehill’s Alice and Erle Nye Family Environmental Science Center, one could hardly miss the yellow and orange leaves slowly falling as if it were snowing. The experience lightens the heavy feeling of those hot temperatures.

This time of year also begins a season of people being nicer to each other and taking time to pause and thank each other for even the smallest things. The exhibition of kindness and civility gives me hope that human nature really is about doing the right things and sharing our planet with others in the most positive way. I think we often forget that our interactions with others have an impact on their lives and on our own.

Traditionally, Thanksgiving signals the start of many opportunities to share our lives with our family. I am so thankful that this time of year exists for me to remember family members who are present and those who are no longer here but have helped shape me into the person I am. All of us have a remarkable opportunity to impact the lives of others and during this time of Thanksgiving and celebrations we can make this world a better place for all of us! I thank you for your role in making this a better world for me.

Categories
Family and Community

The Legacy of A Smile

By Victoria John
Latin and Mathematics Teacher, Lakehill Preparatory School

May you see your children’s children growing on your family tree;

Such a crown of life’s true riches they can be…

Life may bring you fame or fortune,

But your greatest legacy is to plant a strong and fruitful family tree.

Life is a rhapsody of loving; both sad and joyful poetry;

But in your symphony of living the most important melody is family.

I love Lakehill’s traditions. For thirteen years I have felt part of this caring family, as I experience annual celebrations. From our opening picnic, Homecoming, and the Halloween Carnival to Trek for Tech, the Holiday Luncheon, Adventure Week and the Skating Party, my favorite is Grandparents Day. Even before I became a grandmother, I enjoyed this gathering.

My favorite part of Grandparents Day is the end, where we sing the words above from “Family Tree,” written for Lakehill by Jack Noble White. Every student from kindergarten through twelfth grade, every teacher, every administrator and every staff member join voices to celebrate the gift of family. It is a moment that fills me with love and pride for my extended family.

We started a new tradition this year with the creation of Tribes, small groups of students who meet monthly to share activities and build a bond as they create new memories. Cat Huitt and I are tribal leaders of thirteen delightful students in grades one, four, seven, and ten. At our first meeting everyone shared a favorite memory. Seventh grade student Shelby Britton touched my heart with her remembrance of her grandmother.

“My grandmother’s formal name was Lola Mosley, but absolutely no one called her that. No one. Friends, family, acquaintances, and random strangers all called her Nana. I don’t really know how that nickname came about, but I do know that I had to ask my mother her real name. No one called her Lola.

She was a very strong-willed person and was not a ‘girly girl’ in the sense that she could be as tough, if not tougher, than all the guys in my family. You could tell her absolutely anything, and she would not think for a second about judging you. She also had really good advice about pretty much anything you could imagine, especially cooking.

Her home was always open. Whenever I would visit her, there was usually someone there with her, drinking coffee or watching the news. I really can’t remember a time when she didn’t have a coffee mug in her hand or a smile on her face.

My favorite memory of her was when she would tell my cousin and me stories about her past when we spent the night. I remember this one story about how she would drag race in the alley behind the neighborhood theater  The main thing that stood out about this story was that her competition was none other than the town’s policeman. ‘Yes, policeman.’ Needless to say, she was very outgoing or almost always doing something for someone else.

Nana treated me like I was one of the adults. She would never call me the usual childish names like ‘baby’ or the name, ‘Booboo,” which I am called by my family. ‘Ugh.’

She made me feel special. She wouldn’t say I was her favorite grandchild or anything like that, but she had her ways of telling me I meant the world to my family. For some reason, she chose to tell me that. I always knew they loved me, but I couldn’t wrap my brain around how much. That’s probably the best thing she ever did for me.

Nana was an amazingly great influence in my life. When I talk about her, all I can do is laugh. I think that is the best legacy a person can leave.”

Thank you, Shelby, for these heartfelt memories of your Nana. Her legacy will continue as you touch others with your gifts.

At Lakehill’s fifteenth annual Grandparent’s Day on Friday, November 16, from 9:30-11:00 a.m., we celebrate family with the legacy of a smile.

Categories
Family and Community

A Thanksgiving Assignment

By Patti Brooks
Lower School Coordinator, Lakehill Preparatory School 

I LOVE Thanksgiving!

It is the time of year that pansies are planted, cold breezes blow in, fireplaces fill the night air with that campfire smell, and good food is coupled with hugs from loved ones!  As a second grade teacher, I always found myself discussing favorite memories with my students about this wonderful holiday. My favorite assignment was to have them write an acrostic poem about Thanksgiving. Since I don’t have a chance to assign this task to others this year, I will do it myself, so here goes:

T=Thankfully surrounded by that special, talented group, called the Lower School faculty

H=Having the most wonderful students in Dallas

A=Always knowing that I was “at home” in the halls of Lakehill

N=Never doubting the importance of the supportive parents

K=Knowing that children’s happiness was #1

S=Seeing self-confident smiles daily

G=Giving proud hugs with many tears at Baccalaureate each year

I=Interested in the opinions of others, young and old

V=Very thankful for the close friendships I have formed

I=Impressed by the leadership of dedicated professionals

N=Not forgetting that my wonderful family has supported my dedication to Lakehill

G=Grateful that 29 years ago Mr. Perry said, “Yes” to my teacher application at Lakehill

Categories
Family and Community

Giving Thanks

By Roger L. Perry
Headmaster, Lakehill Preparatory School 

As we race toward the Thanksgiving season, it seems the time is right to share with you the story of one of Lakehill’s greatest friends and supporters over the first forty years. Mr. Charles J. Wyly, Jr. was a great friend of the school. He shared his wonderful insights about the world and his philosophy about the importance of education for all people. He was a pillar of the Dallas community and was very generous with causes he believed in, especially our school.

Some of you may know that for the first eighteen years of our school’s existence we rented our current building from the Lakewood Baptist Church. In 1989 the Board of Directors voted to purchase the building and the 5.6 acres we now occupy on Hillside Drive. In order to buy the land and building, the school needed to raise gifts to make the purchase a reality. The first gift came from Mr. Wyly and it set the tone for the success of the fund drive. The goal was $2.5 million and he provided the first $250,000 toward that goal. The largest gift in the history of the school, prior to his wonderful gift was $30,000.

His leadership and generosity made it possible for us to ultimately raise all the funds and to own the land and buildings free and clear. Over the years, I’m sure Mr. Wyly has given cumulative gifts in access of $1,000,000 toward our efforts to provide a quality education here in East Dallas.  Mr. Wyly loved people and to the best of my knowledge, he attended every holiday luncheon we held and truly enjoyed the interaction between our students and the senior citizens. This year’s holiday luncheon will be a little different for me, because Charles will not be here enjoying the “Spirit” of the holidays, as he passed away this summer in Aspen, Colorado.

He will truly be missed, and I am so grateful to have known him as one of those rare individuals who helped build a foundation for an outstanding prep school called Lakehill. He was a good friend and mentor and one of the most generous men I have ever known. My life and the lives of thousands of young people are better because Charles Wyly crossed each of our paths and shared his can-do spirit with all of us. Lakehill Preparatory School is very thankful to have been fortunate enough to have a great friend in Charles Wyly.