Skip to main content

Circle of Kindness

My opening letter noted how “kindness,” found in our mission’s third paragraph, speaks to the core essence of a good man, a man who is gentle and respectful, humble and giving, selfless and thoughtful. 

In our world today, we hear so much, so regularly, about violence, aggression, and disrespect. This can lead to a hopeless sense of helplessness, a feeling of a breakdown in fundamental civility. Kindness, though, is a powerful antidote. Kindness begets kindness. It is contagious. The kinder we are to others, the more we experience it ourselves - and the effects of that kindness ripple outward and touch others in ways we can't even imagine. 

Last week, an alumnus from the Class of ‘08 visited Saint David’s and gave Chapel to the eighth graders. In his talk, he reflected upon the events of 9/11 and the feeling of absolute chaos, fear, and violence that surrounded him—except when he was within the walls of Saint David’s where he felt safe, cared for, and protected. He was in second grade. He told the boys that it was the values celebrated then and instilled in him throughout his successive years at Saint David’s that carried him forward, empowering and guiding him. He knew what “good” looked like. He knew what “good” felt like. 

This experience and his time at Saint David’s so deeply affected him that he knew he wanted to be a part of making the world a better place. Sure enough, after graduating from college, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served for two tours of duty as an Army Ranger in Afghanistan, up to and including the U.S. withdrawal. He experienced so much, but held firm to and used his values to guide him through. Married this summer, he is now enrolled at Columbia Business School. 
Recently, while taking a class, this alum ran into another Saint David's alum—about ten years his senior—who, it turned out, also served in the military. They got to talking and discovered that not only were they both Saint David’s boys who had served, but also that the older alum, while on duty in Iraq, had received a letter through Operation Gratitude—a long-standing Saint David’s letter writing campaign to active service members stationed overseas during the holidays—from a young Saint David’s boy and that that boy was the man now sitting in front of him. Now, in the famous, albeit slightly altered words of Mick Dundee in Crocodile Dundee, “that’s a circle!” Two men connected through time by their school, their service, and an incredible, simple, but profound act of kindness.I told this story in Chapel yesterday because it illustrates a universal truth: we may never know exactly where an act of kindness will lead, but it always, and with certainty and conviction, will lead toward the good. So in this crazy, chaotic world, we can take back control by applying the most powerful antidote we all—no matter our background or current circumstances—possess: kindness. It’s that simple. 

Popular posts from this blog

Resilience in the Teaching of Languages

Above: The Nerf microphone ball enables boys learning remotely to hear their classmates well. The pandemic has challenged educators to reinvent and reimagine units of study to keep learning engaging, regardless of how it is delivered. The following article, written for Saint David’s Magazine by our Modern Languages Chair Dr. Victoria Gilbert and Lower School Spanish teacher Flor Berman, addresses how this was done in the Spanish immersion language program at Saint David's. Ms. Berman and Dr. Gilbert, recipient of the New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers' Ruth E. Wasley Distinguished Teacher Award, presented on the topic at NYSAIS’s Flexible Classroom Conference last summer. How Spanish Classes Have Bounced Back Resiliency implies an ability to bounce back, but as teachers working with the youngest learners in the school, we would reframe resiliency as the opportunity to reimagine. Whether boys are learning through a face-to-face experience or through the med
Read more

The Role of Faith in Social-Emotional Learning and Psychological Well-Being

The following article by our School Psychologist, Dr. Michael Schwartzman, appears in the current issue of Saint David's Magazine : During one of my first observations in a Saint David’s classroom 15 years ago, I witnessed two first grade boys in a verbal altercation. Although it was contained just between the two boys, their observant teacher had them talk it through and then shake hands on being in a better place for having done so. I was very impressed, and still am, with this approach that the school takes many times throughout the day.  It helps establish a firm idea of how to behave, especially in social situations where emotions can be stirred and run high. Through this experience repeated consistently day in and day out, better, more productive ways of engaging become increasingly integrated by the boys as they develop socially and emotionally in interaction with each other.  As the School Psychologist, I spend a lot of time thinking about the touch points for student and t
Read more

Storytelling Demonstrates Understanding

Their time had arrived. As the lights dimmed in our Otto-Bernstein Theatre, the astrophysicists, a mix of jitters and excitement, awaited their opportunity to share insights and stories about the workings of the universe. Which planets might support life? Is there water on Mars? What are Dwarf Planets?    "Let's take a look at our closest neighbor, Venus," invited one presenter, before revealing that the planet - while ideal in proximity - has surface temperatures of 900 degrees F: "Imagine - standing on the surface would be like being burned alive!"  Later that same day, in our Graham lunchroom, early 20th century immigrants of all ages from Italy, China, Ireland, Russia, among other countries, waited, with hope and determination, their turn to be interviewed for admittance to America. It wasn't going to be easy. They would be asked pointed, potentially life-altering questions by various processors. "What's that cough? It doesn't sound good,&qu
Read more