Thanksgiving--Blessed Are We!

Did you ever witness something and know, even as it was happening, that you would never forget it? That happened to me several times within an hour or so last Tuesday morning. We had what I hope will be our first annual Thanksgiving Breakfast. The meal was designed as a little thank you to some of our donors who support the Adopt-a-Student Program in the school. We invited about twenty donors--ten could attend. I also invited ten or so students who were recipients of the Adopt-a-Student funds. I thought that these two groups of wonderful people should know each other. I believe I was right.
First of all, the students did a great job of being themselves. They chatted about their lives and their dreams for the future. Without even knowing it , they presented the best of themselves and of Mt. Carmel--willing to work, able to succeed, and fueled by hope. I think the donors realized that their gifts, used to assist these students with tuitions, had been put to good use.
The donors were grand as well. They, truly all examples of humilty and generosity, talked to the students about what they were doing in life and about why they chose to give their money to our school. They, too, were eloquent as they spoke of the need to develop leadership for the future, the need to foster faith in our world, and the need to share ones blessings. Both students and donors taught each other many lessons just by their presence.
I had also invited two alumni to speak at the breakfast. Ally White is a freshman at The College of Notre Dame of Maryland who will major in structural engineering. Stephon Dingle, a sophomore at St. Mary's College, is already talking about graduate school. (Since he is the president of his class, perhaps we will be voting for him one day!) Both of these students spoke with great affection and gratitude for Mt. Carmel High School and the people who guided, taught and inspired them. They offered encouraging words to the students before them saying, "You can do it too--just keep on working."
The truth of the matter is that neither of these successful college students would have been able to finish high school at Mt. Carmel without significant help from the very people in the audience. They were living proof of how much the donations of many result in opportunities for young people.
The lump in my throat formed when I glanced out at the generations represented at that breakfast. I saw "connections" the way they should be. The young being cared for by the old and being inspired by those just several years removed. The older folks, realizing the great good that comes from sharing our blessings, interacting with students that truly are the future.
Pope John Paul II once said someting that I think continues to ring true. He said, "There is hope for the future, and its name is youth!" I have learned that this hope only comes to fruition with the help of many. I was privileged to share our little Thanksgiving Breakfast with people who really see that future and are willing to contribute to it--person by person and dollar by dollar.
During this holiday season, as we all appreciate our family and the things we love more than we sometimes do, you might feel a sense of generosity bubbling up within you. If you do, may I suggest supporting a great student with the gift of opportunity? Please contribute to our Adopt-a-Student Program and may you be blessed for your goodness if you do! (Contact Tom Rose in our Development Office to obtain details about the Adopt-a-Student Program--trose@olmcmd.org