Last week was “Celebrating Differences, Embracing Uniqueness” week, formerly known as Bullying Prevention Week. Like in previous years, special awareness weeks are acknowledged through Friday’s chapel. Usually, we have the honor of listening to PB give us a sermon. Some are actively listening, some are waiting for the lunch bell to ring, and many of us are doing both.
This chapel, however, we were honored by a different presence: six of our wonderful Dalat staff, Ms. Hu, Ms. Kwon, Mr. Craig, Mr. Ben, Ms. Bang, and Mr. Emmanuel.
Ms. Hu had spent the week planning for this special chapel, and it was definitely a new and unique learning opportunity for us all. It started off with an entertaining video of students sharing what they believed made them different, and it ended with a newly shared sense of understanding among us all.
When asked what it was like planning chapel, Ms. Hu said, “It was pretty fun to interview different staff/students. Communication and collaboration is the key.”
Throughout the next thirty minutes of chapel, teachers and staff who I had once seen as enigmas slowly transformed into people with a story to share, with an opportunity to finally do so.
As Rebekah Wood (12) said, “It was nice to hear from teachers and staff that we usually don’t hear from.”
If there’s one thing I took away from last week’s chapel, it’s that no two lives or backstories are the same, and that is fundamentally why we must treat everyone with equal respect and compassion. It’s interesting to see how all of our lives are so different, and yet we all ended up at Dalat, our lives intertwined, and right there in the audience of Friday chapel, listening to life stories that would’ve stayed hidden otherwise. I think that’s pretty great.
I asked some students what they think makes them unique, and how they embrace it and make it their power. Sharon Baek (12) said, “My loud voice is my uniqueness, and I use it to sing.”
Wonhoo Shin (11) said, “What makes me unique is that I’m not afraid to be myself, and I make that my power because I get to decide how others view me and talk about me.”
Audrey Chan (12) said, “I can stay calm in pretty much any situation; it is my power because I can help other people stay calm especially if they’re anxious about anything.”
Even our unique qualities are unique.
Sometimes, what we think sets us apart is exactly what makes us whole. The only thing we have in common is that we’re all different, so remember to always celebrate your differences and embrace your uniqueness. In the spirit of togetherness, always remember to honor the distinctiveness of everyone else around you too.
What makes you unique, and how do you make that your power?
Comments
Post a Comment