BY ANDREW BRONSON
Recently, I found a pamphlet in my house called the Thankfulness Journal, handed out by Lindsey Ervin earlier in the academic year when we started the Sources of Strength program. The journal encourages us to take a few minutes each day to reflect on three things for which we are thankful.
As a sheltered in place parent of three "quaran-teens", it prompted me to think about what I’m most thankful for. Here are just a few of the things that come to mind during this difficult time:
- I am thankful for the physical and mental health of my friends and family along with those in the greater community, as we continue to shelter in place each day.
- I am thankful for the faculty at Valor. They have adjusted quickly to a new delivery model of education while also taking care of themselves and their families during this difficult period.
- I am thankful for my family – my wife and kids, as well as for my family spread across the rest of the country, who we don’t get to be with as we would like. Weekly Zoom meetings have brought family connections that have sometimes been lost in our busy lives.
Experts say gratitude can be especially powerful right now. It keeps us focused on the present, builds our sense of connection with others and promotes a sense of peace and well-being.
I encourage you to take a few minutes of your day and to think about the things you are thankful for. God Bless you and yours.
Andrew Bronson is the parent of two current Valor juniors and one incoming freshman. He is currently the CIO for Mental Health Partners in Boulder and a volunteer parent mentor with Sources of Strength at Valor.