President’s Message:

Putting Hope and Kindness Front and Center

Stu Semigran

“Hope springs eternal” can be an over-used cliché or a simple reminder of the freshness and newness of Spring: the beauty of nature and life emerging from the coldness and dormancy of winter...a sense of new life and dynamic beginnings. With springtime comes renewal and rebirth. It offers a chance to come out of hibernation, to blossom, and to give birth to the promise of new life – where hope springs eternal.

What if, in "springing forward", we choose to look more often at ourselves through affirming eyes (by practicing gentle self-forgiveness), as well as at the people and situations around us? What if we seed Heartset® skills by practicing honoring and seeing the best in another, moving from judgment to forgiveness, and the skills of giving and receiving? We can choose to look for the good in ourselves, in each other, and in all situations. We can approach challenges as welcome opportunities for learning and advancement. Years ago, I read a quote chalked on a blackboard in a fellow teacher's classroom that stayed with me. It read, “Valuable opportunities are often cleverly disguised as problems." Hope springs eternal when we decide to look for the good in everyone and in all situations. 

Optimism, proactive constructive behavior, gratefulness, and generosity are the signs of Spring's renewal. One of the best pieces of wisdom I received when EduCare was first getting off the ground was the challenge to "look upon a field of brown and white from the winter and see into the harvest." I took this to mean holding strong and persevering through lean times during our nonprofit's start-up. I also took it to mean looking beneath the surface of a child who someone might have labelled as a “problem kid,” and seeing their deeper goodness beyond their expressions of upset, fear, hurt, or anger.  

This Spring, I invite us all to approach problems and challenging times (and people) by pausing and appreciating the real promise and fullness of the goodness around us and in all we meet; to always stay open to learning, growing, and reaching out to express our positivity and caring. In service to our young people and to ourselves, let our hope and kindness lead the way!

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