“February, Schmebruary”. For some, there is no worse month. It may be short, they say, but when or when will it ever end?
I love February. February comes from a Latin word, ‘februa’ — to cleanse, to purify. The Roman Februalia was a month of purification and atonement.
February is the month when your afternoon shadow can be as tall as a tree. Could the fact that February days steadily grow longer be a form of cleansing? A time to shake off the darkness and warm the earth for the spring growing season that lies just ahead.
Then there is February 17th, Random Acts of Kindness Day. Behavioral health scientists suggest that kindness has a way of “cleansing” the mind and the body. Kindness, they have found:
Students who are part of the PIPs for School (P4S) program offered by the PIPs Education Fund can earn Positive Impact Points (PIPs) for acts of kindness, points they can accrue and when they have enough can convert into grants to pay college fees. In their own words, here are just a few examples of the many acts of kindness for which P4S students are being recognized and rewarded:
The P4S program “opened me up to the value of helping others and how I can find my own value when I’m assisting others.” explains Sammi, a Hunter College sophomore who set up a tutoring program for her younger siblings and their friends.
Like the lengthening days of February, Sammi noted, “You continue to shine as you already are, and PIPs sees you glowing and helps you grow brighter.”
Wendy Gordon
President, PIPs Education Fund
January 2023
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