Que Sera Sera
Isn’t it ironic that this first half of term has featured some of the best weather I can remember and almost certainly would have seen all sporting fixtures completed. So frustrating!
If I think about it more, other vexations will emerge. But I must stop. Being too wistful about what might have been can lead to resentment. The word nostalgia, from the Greek nostros, to return home, and algos, meaning pain, was coined by a Swiss medical student in the 17th century whose treatment advice for the ‘disease’ (as he saw it) included laxatives and bloodletting. There is certainly no need for that!
But being a little nostalgic is not a problem. In fact, it can promote well-being, tolerance and a sense of meaning in life. By harnessing its power wisely, and perhaps humorously, nostalgia can create a stronger attachment to things too. It is OK to rue the chances missed or opportunities lost but only if it galvanises the resolve to seize them when they do emerge and perspective and humour are not lost.
This is why my colleagues and I were so keen to send a short video message to the pupils. I’m told it can lead to tears, though I am not sure whether they are of joy, warmth or out of sympathy that we’ve been driven to madness! If you have not seen it, here is the link: Que Sera Sera!