Out of disappointment, positives can arise

Last week, in an assembly for Senior School students I asked a question; have you ever been disappointed?

Probably, in reality, all of us have been disappointed at some point in our lives. Something may have gone wrong or we may not have got something we hoped for. But out of disappointment, good can often come.

Most of us will have experienced disappointment fairly recently. Over the Easter holidays I’m sure people had all sorts of things planned, which ended up having to be cancelled.

It has really impressed me how St Mary’s girls have been making so much of the current situation. It seems people have particularly valued spending more time with their family and pets. I have certainly enjoyed spending more time with my dogs and seeing what they get up to during the day, like nipping upstairs and sunbathing on the beds!

Students across all year groups seem to have been using social media to meet up with friends and many of the girls have learnt new skills.

It has been heartening how students, their families and staff have been supporting their communities. Not just by clapping for careers each Thursday but also by helping vulnerable people with shopping and other tasks. I’ve been really impressed with how the Textiles department, along with past and current students and their parents, have been making PPE for local hospital staff.

I hope that when we all reflect back on this time, a time when reality doesn’t always quite meet expectations, that we feel positives did arise from disappointments. I know that St Mary’s girls find positives in all situations and I have no doubt they will during this challenging time too.