I'm so thankful for my one year at regular high school in White

When Jennifer Damiano declares, “I’m so thankful for my one year at regular high school in White Plains,” her words may seem simple at first, but they carry the depth of memory and the weight of experience. For in that single year lies a gift—the gift of normalcy, of belonging, of tasting what many take for granted. Hers is not a boast of fame, nor a lament for what was lost, but a moment of thankfulness for an ordinary chapter of life that became extraordinary because it was fleeting.

The origin of this gratitude is found in the life of an artist whose path pulled her away from the familiar rhythm of adolescence. Damiano, who rose to Broadway at a young age, traded classrooms for rehearsals, and school dances for the spotlight of the stage. To most, this might seem a fair exchange, yet even amidst the triumphs of art, the heart yearns for the simple joys of growing up among peers. That single year in White Plains gave her a glimpse of what it meant to be a “regular” teenager, to walk among others not as a star, but as a fellow traveler in youth.

This truth echoes across history. Consider Marcus Aurelius, Emperor of Rome, who bore the burden of ruling the known world. Yet in his writings, he often longed for the quiet simplicity of a philosopher’s life, for moments when he might sit as an ordinary man and reflect without the weight of empire. Like Damiano, he cherished the rare taste of what others lived daily. His meditations reveal the same lesson: that the ordinary, when scarce, becomes a treasure of immeasurable worth.

Damiano’s thankfulness also reveals a powerful wisdom: that no experience, however brief, is without value. In her single year at high school, she found memories that shaped her, grounding her amid the whirlwind of performance. She honors that year not because it was long or glamorous, but because it was real. This truth calls us all to pause and value the moments we may overlook—the conversations in a hallway, the laughter shared with friends, the quiet lessons of ordinary days.

Her words also challenge us to reconsider the nature of success. Many chase greatness, believing that ordinary life must be abandoned for glory. Yet Damiano reminds us that even the one who stands beneath the brightest lights still treasures the shadows of simplicity. This does not diminish her art, but enriches it, for her appreciation of ordinary life deepens her understanding of humanity. And so, in her thankfulness, we see a harmony between ambition and humility, between the stage and the classroom.

The lesson, therefore, is profound: do not despise the ordinary. The smallest chapters of life may one day be remembered as the most precious. Whether it be a single year at a school, a quiet walk with a friend, or a fleeting season of simplicity, these moments build the foundation upon which our greater journeys rest. To be thankful for them is to live with wisdom, to honor the unseen blessings that shape who we are.

Practical wisdom flows from this truth: cherish the present, no matter how plain it seems. Write down small joys, give thanks for everyday encounters, and resist the temptation to hurry past the simple seasons in search of greater ones. For as Damiano teaches us, the ordinary is itself a rare gift, and one day, when we look back, we may find that it is these moments, not the triumphs, that warm our hearts the most.

Thus, in the words of Jennifer Damiano, we inherit a teaching both humble and eternal: that even one year of ordinary life can be a treasure to the soul. Let us therefore walk with thankfulness, honoring both the extraordinary and the ordinary, and remembering that greatness is not only found upon the stage of the world, but also in the quiet halls of everyday life.