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Walking in Humility as a Family
As we walk with the children in our care, we want to accompany them in their growth as joyful, Christian leaders whose unique gifts will transform society. Virtues are essential pieces of this integral formation puzzle. They elevate the meaning of daily activities into lifelong habits of seeking truth, goodness, and beauty.
Pinecrest Academy Lower and Middle School students are learning to practice the virtue of humility. Humility is the virtue that allows us to be truly self-aware. God is God and He loves us. When we recognize that we are creatures, objects of the love of God, we can truly embrace our human dignity and respect that of others. In the words of the author Rick Warren, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.” If God truly loves us, the insecurity that underlies selfishness and pride is a non-starter. If we truly recognize our neighbor as the object of God's eternal love, we can begin to think of them and their good in the right measure.
Virtue is not an added activity to our already saturated day. Rather, it is the intentionality we can place within the activities in which we participate. Here are a few examples of living humility in your family environment.
- Give credit and rejoice in others. Family dinners are important moments to share the highs and lows of the day. We can add a humility factor by also asking family members to include “shout outs”, recognition of small or large accomplishments of someone else.
- Be a good team player. Board games, sports tournaments and unstructured play are beautiful moments to learn humility. Each one contributes their gifts and talents to the good of the team or the family. Humble people can rejoice in a victory while valuing others. They can practice sportsmanship when they lose by being gracious and learning from their mistakes.
- Embrace a growth mindset. Everything is an opportunity to learn and grow. Nobody knows everything. We can help our children grow in humility by giving honest feedback and correction while teaching them how to receive it.
- Practice gratitude. Gratitude is a wonderful expression of humility. It recognizes the other person’s free offering of their time or possessions. Teaching our children to consistently thank others is not only good manners, but above all training in virtuous living.
Michelle Gow serves as Middle School Campus Minister and Religion Teacher at Pinecrest Academy. She has been a consecrated woman of Regnum Christi for 30 years. Her academic background includes a Bachelor’s degree in Education and Development from Anahuac University, a Bachelor’s degree in Religious Sciences from the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum, and a Master’s degree in Catechesis and School Pastoral Work from Marist University of Guadalajara. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Education at the University of Mary.
Pinecrest Academy is a private PreK-12 Catholic school located in Cumming, South Forsyth, just minutes from Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton and Suwanee. We serve families of all faiths seeking a Christian education for their children. To learn more about our unique educational philosophy, visit our Welcome page.
SEMPER ALTIUS = ALWAYS HIGHER
The mission of Pinecrest Academy is reflected in the word Integer, which is Latin for “whole,” or “entire,” and reflects our goal of forming the whole child as an authentic “Person in Christ.” The school motto Semper Altius, means “Always Higher,” and challenges our students, parents, staff and faculty to strive for excellence in all areas of Integral Formation® - intellectual, spiritual, human and apostolic.
The mission of Pinecrest Academy is reflected in the word Integer, which is Latin for “whole,” or “entire,” and reflects our goal of forming the whole child as an authentic “Person in Christ.” The school motto Semper Altius, means “Always Higher,” and challenges our students, parents, staff and faculty to strive for excellence in all areas of Integral Formation® - intellectual, spiritual, human and apostolic.
