FROM THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD

CHOOSING HOPE

Some of you may know that David and I have recently been blessed with our first grandchild, Ernest, born to Charles (2003) and Dash in Geneva. Needless to say, we have yet to see him in person, but we live in hope at being able to do so when borders reopen.

In many ways, this year has been harder than last year. The novelty and challenge of doing things differently has been replaced by a sense of uncertainty and malaise. The pandemic has left us feeling like victims, powerless to enjoy the things that we have previously taken for granted, such as hugging our grandchild and visiting my 103-year-old mum in Singapore. Our students have had a second year of COVID disruptions, with missed opportunities to learn together, socialise, perform, compete and explore, to say nothing of our parents yet again juggling learning-at-home and work! It seems that we are much more drawn to negative than positive situations which feed our sense of grief and loss. We also know that sitting around ruminating diminishes us.

However, we do have agency– we can change our outcomes, by choosing to focus on hope.

Hope is a rich word that implies making things better after accepting reality, without giving into distortion or despair. Choosing hope focuses attention on the good, working on things that will help and not hinder, having the courage to act, always grateful for progress made along the way.

Over a century ago, another Ernest chose not to give in to despair, but to work with hope. Ernest Shackleton was a legendary British explorer whose ship, the Endurance, was crushed by the Antarctic ice in 1915, with little hope of rescue. Shackleton wrote,

“The task now was to secure the safety of the party, and to that I must bend my energies and mental power and apply every bit of knowledge that experience of the Antarctic had given me. The task was likely to be long and strenuous, and an ordered mind and a clear programme were essential if we were to come through without loss of life. A man must shape himself to a new mark directly the old one goes to ground.”

Astonishingly, all of his 27 men survived their ordeal of nearly two years.

Shackleton’s hope involved courageous action, not wishful thinking.

Christmas is upon us, the story of an itinerant new mother giving birth in a cowshed. Yet this event was heralded by angels in heaven, signalling hope for all humankind. So, mindful of this, let us keep the faith, surrounding our children with love, and helping them step out with courage to shape a meaningful future with hope.

Shantini Deutscher

Chair of the Board