Stewardship, Gratitude, and Wonder in a Season of Remembrance and Change

Ahh, November! Somehow, the eleventh month of the year is upon us already, and what a big month it is in our nation's history! Not only are there precious holidays of remembrance and gratitude, Veteran’s Day and Thanksgiving, to be celebrated, but we also find ourselves nearing the end of a presidential election season. With these momentous occasions and a focus on our virtues of this month–Stewardship, Gratitude, and Wonder–there are so many valuable opportunities to orient our own and our students’ hearts and minds toward the Good, and we have the privilege and responsibility to capitalize on them. 

Stewardship, Gratitude, and Wonder are attitudes or orientations of the heart. They tend not to be grand and glorious virtues that lead us to accolades or recognition. Rather, quietly and inwardly, we come to view what has been given to us interiorly or through the wonder of the cosmos around us with proper reverence. Each of these attitudes comes from a vantage point of humility, in which we place ourselves in the proper context of the blessings of our life and come to care for, appreciate, or stand in awe of all that we’ve received. They are powerful and important virtues to attend to and cultivate for these very reasons–and what better time to do so than during the holidays and occasions that are set before us this month? 

Although Veteran’s Day and Thanksgiving bring yearly reminders of our need to steward our civic responsibility and have gratitude for our nation, the people who fought for it, and the abundance we enjoy because of it, the presidential election offers us a unique opportunity that only comes once every four years. In this process, we get to value our country, its history, its purpose, and our responsibility and privilege to participate in the peaceful transfer of power from one president to the next. 

The precedent of handing over power after two terms was set by the great George Washington, the first president of our young, fragile nation. Washington’s Vice President, John Adams, was elected as the second President, but his administration lasted only one term. After a contentious few years in which he came under fierce criticism because of his insistence on America’s neutrality in the French Revolutionary Wars, Adams got voted out of office and replaced by his friend and political rival, Thomas Jefferson. Adams could have put up a fight and insisted that he remain in power or that the results were rigged. Instead, he left the White House quietly in the early morning hours on March 4, 1801, and willingly handed his opponent the office of President of the United States. This peaceful transference, a hallmark of our nation’s democracy, was monumental in the history of the world. Never had power been peacefully and willingly handed over from one leader to the next in this fashion. New kings, emperors, or dictators often seized power through war, death, and destruction. By this and many other characteristics, America has been known as exceptional among nations, and we ought not forget the immense gift it is to live in relative peace and freedom because of America’s founding principles. The proper response is to wonder at the exceptional character of our country, to have gratitude for the privileges we experience because of it, and then to steward our nation well by participating in the democratic process of self-governance with humility and grace.  

Core Virtues founder Mary Beth Klee wrote to me with a heartfelt message about the upcoming election and how we may be tempted to feel if our preferred candidate does not win. She wants us, as leaders and role models for our students, to remember that “stewardship of our nation requires us to model some key virtues… faithfulness to its institutions, humility about what we can truly know, empathy for those who lost, courage to move forward, as well as wonder and hope for its future.” Intense disappointment is natural after a loss, especially one that can markedly influence a country we love dearly in ways we may see as detrimental and negative. She further encourages us to keep in mind the following: 

“The message we send our students in schools the day after election day is important. We should celebrate that voters have had their say, a privilege that people in many nations lack…Neither unbridled glee nor a day of mourning is in order…The United States has elaborate mechanisms in place for the expression of the will of the people and the exercise of democracy. These may have yielded a result we do or don’t like, but we accept (what some see as) the bad with the good because we value the right of our citizens to choose, we value the will of the people, we value or nation, and we respect the laws that govern us.” 

Mary Beth’s wisdom is invaluable at such a tense time in our nation’s history. Thankfully, we know that this is not the only divided time our country has faced since the founders signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776. With sights set on the Good and a firm commitment to upholding virtues such as gratitude, stewardship, and wonder, we will continue to be the great nation we all love. Modeling this for our students is essential to their growth and their appreciation of the gifts of democracy, and it is also key to positively influencing our little corner of the world. 

I will leave you with one last thought from the classic novel Little Women. In Chapter 4, the four March sisters have become discontented with their lives. They want more riches, more entertainment, and more excitement, and they allow their unmet wants to leave them frustrated and miserable. Cleverly, their mother, Marmee, tells them an enchanting story to remind them of a very important life lesson and ends it with a “spell they could use to make them happy.” She explains, “When you feel discontented, think over your blessings, and be grateful.” Marmee’s spell is a balm for an anxious and troubled heart, and I hope it encourages you as it has encouraged me.