Most of us are busy in life, working to keep our heads above water, attempting to achieve and moving from project to project. In all of that activity, I wonder how many of us take the time to stop and celebrate our accomplishments. I personally believe that one of the important parts of life achievements is to take the time to celebrate both the process and the results.
Such was the case this past week when the Lakeside Greenhouse took the time to gather students, parents and guests to celebrate the achievements of our Lakeside School students as they completed an amazing achievement in this year’s Philadelphia Flower Show. It was such a great experience, and they won silver and gold medals for the display they created for the 235,000 visitors that came to the show.
The stage was surrounded by remnants of their display, creating a great environment for this ceremony. It was quite natural to be in our large greenhouse where it all began and to share story after story of how the entire process emerged. I had the privilege of speaking and reminding the students of how important their process was as a life template. In order for it all to be possible, they visioned, designed, created the details, utilized their strengths, implemented their plans with hard work, built supportive relationships together and delivered an award-winning exhibition at the largest flower show of its kind globally. I reminded them that celebrating their achievements is a significant part of this process – it is a way to reflect on all that they had gained emotionally, relationally and practically. This is such a wonderful way to do life for all of us as we acknowledge our achievements with reflection, lessons learned and positive outcomes.
We were so grateful that part of the leadership team of the Philadelphia Flower Show attended and spoke to our students to acknowledge their achievements. They also helped to give each of them their medals. MVP awards were also granted for over and above student and staff leadership. I was impressed with the fact that the Philadelphia Flower Show staff made it clear that this was an event they looked forward to each year, as they witness the community impact of the Flower Show that stems far beyond the exhibits and gardening. It has impact to lives as we bring the beauty of horticulture to our entire community and throughout the world.
What was most compelling was the student speeches. Three of our students spoke eloquently and reflected on the impact of their work on this project in our greenhouse program. They described their relational and emotional state coming into Lakeside as withdrawn, lacking confidence and feeling personally uncomfortable. As a result of this year-long process of building their amazing exhibit, they learned to build strong relationships, express their feelings, resolve conflicts, create a work of art, and celebrate both what they achieved and who they have become. That life journey description became the inspiration of the day that we all celebrated with them.
As Lakeside continues to build its mission to take students who have struggled to find themselves and become who they are, this event was one shining moment where we could see why we do what we do each day. It is truly a reflection of our own achievements in the lives of our students that will yield a lifetime of new potential that they will never forget. I think stopping to celebrate these powerful moments is such an important experience for all of us as we recognize the value of an amazing process of rewards and growth. This simple celebration event not only created a recognition of awards, but our students also acknowledged a new journey of life growth, healthy relationships and impactful inspiration. Kudos to our staff, our students and their families.
Gerry Vassar
President/CEO
