Appreciation

Today is September 11th. To most of us, that is all we have to say and we instantly have memories of that day 18 years ago. It's hard to believe that most of our students were not even born yet when the twin towers went down in New York, the result of a terrorist attack. For those of us who were around back then, we still carry very vivid memories. We remember what we were doing the moment we saw the news reports and continued to watch the news throughout the day. Driving in this morning, I was listening to the radio and the stories that people were sharing about that day. As memories came back, I couldn't help but look around at all the beautiful corn fields and bean fields and I start thinking how really lucky we are to live in such a great country. The sun was shining and the air was clean and crisp. The sky was slightly cloud covered with a hint of some possible rain this afternoon. It made me stop and think. It made me appreciate all that we really have.

I hope that each of you take the time today to appreciate the blessings that we have. The ability to go to the school or the job of our choice. To earn a skill that will make you very successful in the future. Most of us drove in today using our own car or maybe you rode in a bus that is provided free for all students. There are so many things that we utilize throughout the day or interact with during the day that many people in the world have no access to. We take for granted our clean water, flush toilets, abundant food supplies and our freedom. I hope that even if you weren't around when the terrorists attacked us, that you would understand what happened and look around at our world today. It's easy to be saddened by a lot of things that go on around the world everyday but I hope that you will take some time to look around and appreciate some of the great things that we have available to us everyday. We need to appreciate our freedom and the people who make that happen: our military, police officers, firemen and public servants.

Today brings back a lot of sad memories but it is also a day to appreciate the things we have. I enjoyed my ride in this morning and observing all the beauty that surrounded me. I though of 9/11 and all the families that were impacted and then appreciated my family and loved ones. As so many people think of their loved ones who were lost on that day, I think of my family members who have died and I appreciate the memories I have of them. I appreciate the job I have and the staff that I get to work with. I hope all of you appreciate the people that surround you each and every day. Tomorrow is not guaranteed for anyone. Make the most of this day and tell someone that you appreciate, how glad you are that they are a part of your life.

In closing, I just want to say there is one other thing that we appreciate around here at Vantage. That is our students. We appreciate all of you that chose to come here for your final years of high school. We appreciate how you respect the staff, how you take your hat off coming in the building, how you push your chairs in after lunch. We have a great bunch of students this year and like every year, we have a special day where we let them know how much we appreciate them. This Friday, rain or shine, we will have an afternoon of fun and games for all of our students. We hope you enjoy this time and realize how much we really do appreciate you. Thanks