Interdependence and Gratitude

Well Seniors, I have just a couple of parting words for you. And most of you probably won’t recognize them. At the risk of a little cultural appropriation, here we go:

These words (poorly spoken in Korean by me) are often said before meals and roughly mean “I will eat well or I will enjoy this meal.” It is a way to express gratitude for the food and for those who made the meal possible. I first heard it on the podcast by Siyeon that I mentioned earlier about her Korean heritage, and it struck me as a powerful metaphor for us here today. I want to use it to make two points.

While it is not the same thing as saying grace before a meal, it invites us to pause and appreciate what it took to get here. That leads me to my first point: everything we do and everything we have and everything we accomplish in life is built on the help and support of others.

 At ESA we often talk about independence—but what we’re really nurturing in our students is interdependence. Our students learn not just how to stand on their own, but how to thrive in a web of relationships—family, teachers, friends, mentors.  

As an evolutionary ecologist, I totally vibe on this idea. Everything we do affects every other member of our ecosystem, and the ecosystem itself. In ecology we study the relationships among all the parts—the simplest studies are the food webs and how they connect the members of the various communities in the ecosystem. In fact, this year I’ve heard some great student research talks that dive deeply into these ecological ideas, whether it’s the effects of climate change, the population dynamics of alligators, or the eutrophication of ecosystems. Bottom line is this: our world exists in a web of cause and effect, and every action ripples outward.

Here at ESA our students, teachers, parents and staff create a complex web of interactions feeding each other (sometimes literally), but figuratively feeding each other ideas and concepts and the search for truth.

Metaphorically, I believe that is why so many talented faculty work here at ESA. We soon come to realize that the ripple effects we can create by educating the brilliant minds in our classrooms outweigh any positive effect we could have in the world as an individual. That’s the power of interdependence.

This idea is not new. John Donne said it beautifully 400 years ago:

No man is an island,

Entire of itself;

Every man is a piece of the continent,

A part of the main.

If a clod be washed away by the sea,

Europe is the less,

As well as if a promontory were:

As well as if a manor of thy friend's

Or of thine own were.

Any man's death diminishes me,

Because I am involved in mankind.

And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;

It tolls for thee.

 

There are some fantastic phrases in that poem, but my favorite is “I am involved in mankind.” I hope you learned that lesson here. You are involved in mankind. You always have been—and ESA helped you understand that your choices matter, not just for you, but for the whole community. What each of us does affects the ecosystem.

 

The idea of interdependence isn’t just ecological or poetic though, it’s foundational. Look at Genesis 2:18 “And the Lord God said, ‘it is not good for man to be alone;’” We are literally created to be in relationship with others. Of all the super powers of this place (and there are so very many), I think this may be the most powerful of all. Here at ESA, you learned the power of interdependence. You might not have named it, but you learned it. You grew up in this place whose very existence is a testament to the power of relationships, to the power of creating a culture of excellence, a veritable ecosystem of excellence and respect and curiosity, by putting brilliant and animated teachers in the classrooms with equally brilliant and curious students. Don’t forget that.

 

The second message is gratitude. That is what jal meok-get-seum-ni-da ultimately points to. Gratitude is a spiritual practice, it’s a cultural tradition, and it’s a universal value. It is a way to make our words speak as loudly as our actions. So seniors, thank your parents for the sacrifices they made to send you to this school. Thank your teachers for all they did to help you grow in wisdom and truth. Thank your friends for being there for you. And thank God for all the blessings of this life. You didn’t get here alone, and that’s a beautiful thing.

 

To close, I have a final challenge offered up to us by the Apostle Paul in his first letter to the Thessalonians:

 

 

God’s will for you, for us, is to be joyful, to be grateful, and to pray. So, I will end with a short prayer.

 

Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of this life at this very moment in history. Help us to use our time wisely, and may we always be grateful for the chance to learn, to grow, and to make a difference. Amen.

 

Thank you, seniors, for all you have taught us. The world needs your passion, your leadership, and your energy. Congratulations to the class of 2025.