Happy Thanksgiving

This is an email I sent to our leadership academy today....

Campus is really quiet today.  It is raining and slowly I can see the snow starting to mix in.  I hope all of you that are travelling over the thanksgiving break are safe and are or will be with the ones you loves soon.  Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of the year.  I enjoy seeing old friends and spending some quality time with family.  I hope you get a chance to express your thanks and gratitude to the people you have received so many blessings from during the year.  I want to thank you all for the work you are doing within the Loyola Greyhounds Leadership Academy.  I have two things I wanted to share with you all.

I wanted to gather as a group and enjoy a nice meal and have a chance to talk about being a leader and what we have learned during our time together.  I will send an invitation so please RSVP to that invite.  It should be a nice get together.

The other item I wanted to share was the Campus Ministry #Gratitude campaign.  If you get a chance send a tweet out to to recognize those who you are thankful for—and as the staff from Campus Ministry said - to use the month of November as an opportunity to "bring a little joy and delight to the ones who have meant so much to us." If you did not see the video  click here to check it out -  video from Felisa Velasco, '15, and Paul Lozowicki, '16.  After you share who you are thankful for, Campus Ministry encourages you to invite someone else to share his or her person of #Gratitude.  Use the hashtag and @LoyolaCampusMin.

And what would one of my emails be without a poem, I think this is perfect for gratitude and thanksgiving.… Enjoy your weekend…

Prayer for the Great Family

by Gary Snyder

Gratitude to Mother Earth, sailing through night and day—
        and to her soil: rich, rare and sweet
                            in our minds so be it.

Gratitude to Plants, the sun-facing, light-changing leaf
        and fine root-hairs; standing still through wind
        and rain; their dance is in the flowering spiral grain
                            in our minds so be it.

Gratitude to Air, bearing the soaring Swift and silent
        Owl at dawn. Breath of our song
        clear spirit breeze
                            in our minds so be it.

Gratitude to Wild Beings, our brothers, teaching secrets,
        freedoms, and ways; who share with us their milk;
        self-complete, brave and aware
                            in our minds so be it.

Gratitude to Water: clouds, lakes, rivers, glaciers;
        holding or releasing; streaming through all
        our bodies salty seas
                            in our minds so be it.

Gratitude to the Sun: blinding pulsing light through
        trunks of trees, through mists, warming caves where
        bears and snakes sleep— he who wakes us—
                            in our minds so be it.

Gratitude to the Great Sky
        who holds billions of stars— and goes yet beyond that—
        beyond all powers, and thoughts
        and yet is within us—
        Grandfather Space.
        The Mind is his Wife.
                            so be it.

                                                        after a Mohawk prayer

Gary Snyder, Turtle Island
New Directions, New York, 1974, pp. 24-25

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Dave