MASCA
MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL COUNSELORS ASSOCIATION
VOL. 46, NO. 4
DECEMBER 2009
Happy Holidays from MASCA! It’s True: Love Is the Answer
CHRISTINE EVANS MASCA President
H
ave you ever thought about how many times we use expressions with the word “love”? If you were to jot down the first ten that come to mind, I bet it would be easy. We use the word to talk about the foods we eat, clothes we wear (and yes, that includes shoes!), songs we listen to, books we read, movies we have seen, places we have visited . . . all to indicate a genuine fondness for them. On another level, we use the word to express our deepest feelings. Whether we use it to describe our feelings for things or people, the word “love” has a similar meaning. But “loving” a fine piece of Swiss chocolate is not quite the same as “loving” a family member or friend. Love is a powerful concept, quite possibly the most powerful one on this earth. One way that we learn about the values of a culture or society is to study the art and popular music of the people. If someone were to study our popular music, the theme of love would be found to run through every genre. Think about how many song titles or lyrics have the word love in them: “I Will Always Love You,” “All My Loving,” “All You Need Is Love,” “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling,” “Shower the People You Love with Love” . . . There is plenty of evidence that love is a significant part of our culture and that in spite of the pain and suffering in the
world, there is hope and joy in the concept of love. I am confident that most of us love what we do for work. The daily work of a school counselor can be challenging, rewarding, and exhausting, and sometimes all three at once. There are situations we face during the day that are discouraging, frustrating, and, at times, even heartbreaking. One thing is for certain, we did not go into the field for the monetary rewards or for glory and honor. We went into the field out of love. We care deeply for our students, and we love to help them accomplish their goals, overcome obstacles, and plan for a future in which they will find work that they love. In any field, what separates the good worker from the great one is dedicated passion. In great workers, passion comes across in how they carry out their daily work. When you love what you do, you are not satisfied with just giving the minimum daily requirement. You constantly strive to improve, give your best effort, and assess and evaluate how to do it better next time. In our case, when we approach our work with this kind of love, our students succeed. We help them find happiness and satisfaction. The work of a school counselor is to love, to provide the one place in the school setting where a student will experience unconditional positive regard. It may not be easy work, but it is worthwhile work and work we can be proud of. It makes a difference in the lives of our students. My second point is that although we come into contact with negative forces every day, we do have a way to overcome them. Some of the forces are outside of school and outside of our control, yet we are left to deal with the aftermath. Sometimes the forces can be schoolbudget woes, conflicts with staff mem-
bers, misunderstandings, and instances of injustice. I have discovered that no matter what the difficulty, if we respond in the kindest, most loving, and caring way possible (even when we are angry or hurt), we do our part to improve the situation. I cannot think of one situation that was ever improved by an unloving or vindictive response. It sounds simple, but I think John Lennon was definitely onto something when he insisted: “Love is the answer.” As 2009 comes to an end and we head into 2010, I wish all of you love, peace, and all good things in the coming year. ■
In Memoriam
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n November, MASCA lost another of its long-serving leaders. Mary Mullen Burke, a lifelong resident of Milton, died at the age of 90 after a brief illness. For many years Mary served MASCA as its secretary. She was a graduate of Milton High School and Regis College and earned a master’s degree at Boston University. At the beginning of World War II, Mary was one of the first women to enlist in the Navy Wave Program, and she was later commissioned as an officer. She worked as a guidance counselor at Archbishop Williams High School from 1963 until her retirement in 2001. Throughout the years Mary contributed her talents as an active alumna of Regis College. In Milton she was active in the Red Cross, at one point serving as chairperson. In a written tribute to Mary, a parent said that she was “a true guidance counselor.” MASCA is grateful for Mary’s many years of service and for being a model of dedication and grace. ■