Dear Unity College Colleagues,
As we work our way through November and the coming holiday season, it is important to reflect on the things we are grateful for during these unprecedented time. Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend – Melody Beattie.
No other holiday empowers us to do this more than Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is when we come together to celebrate our successes, our favorite recipes, families and friends. The feeling of positivity the holiday evokes is the perfect kick off to the rest of the holiday season.
Like all things 2020, this year our celebrations will be different, but know that is okay. This year we are presented with a unique opportunity – we can start new traditions. For some that means less or no travel, for others it means hosting fewer people or finally trying their hand at a making an old family recipe. Whatever this year’s new tradition looks like for you, I encourage you to embrace it and make the most of it.
I know it can be hard to see past what we can’t do or who we can’t spend time with but, we still have the power to be positive, kind and thankful this Thanksgiving. I also know that this is sometimes easier said than done. Personally I found renewed solace as I listened to the song Humble and Kind by Tim McGraw the other day. This song reminds us of the simple things we can do that show how much we care and are cared for, not just during the holiday season, or during the pandemic, but year-round.
This year I am saying thanks for my family, my work team which is second to none, and that I get to lead Unity College on its Path Forward with you. As you reflect on who and what you are thankful for, I encourage you to share it with those close to you. It is important that we let the special people in our lives know how we feel about them even if we can’t be with them in person right now.
There is no doubt that this has been a challenging year both professionally and personally, but as the year comes to a close, and we can be hopeful that 2021 will be better. I believe that great things are on the horizon for us here at Unity College, and I am thankful we will be able to experience them together.
I hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving holiday while you stay safe, follow all the local, regional, state and federal guidelines and celebrate the things you are thankful this year.
In Unity,
Dr. Melik Peter Khoury
President
Unity College
