Cabrini Day is coming up, November 10th to be exact. As students finalize their presentations and prepare their projects for the Cabrini community, I can’t help but think back to the year I presented at Cabrini Day. I was a sophomore taking History of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy. In class, we had discussed Aristotle and his philosophy on virtue known as the Golden Mean. The topic was so inspiring that I decided to make it the foundation for my Cabrini Day project.
I love writing, more specifically, I love creative writing. At that time, I’d normally write poetry and spoken words but I wanted to challenge myself. For some reason, the idea of a children’s story rooted in philosophy stuck with me. Children, in my opinion, are the population most eager to learn, and I created a story based on my younger sister, C., having a bad day at school. I asked my sister B. to illustrate the story of which she drew on poster boards I’d later present at Cabrini Day. 
The story followed C., as a duck, going to school and being too rash by trying to remove a mushroom from class. She ended up making a smelly mess which got her in trouble but it also made her friends upset with her because everyone in the class got in trouble too. C. went home and bumped into her wise neighbor, Aristotle the Goat. She told him about her sucky day and then he gave her advice on the Golden Mean.
He explained to her that she should never act in deficiency or excess but rather a happy medium. In other words, C. shouldn’t have acted rashly or too scared, she should’ve been courageous. She would’ve realized that the mushroom didn’t need to be removed and that she was only doing it for attention. Another example could be that a person shouldn’t be too vain or overly humble, they should be confident. In the end, C. realizes that the best thing to do is to find balance and to not mess with unnecessary smelly mushrooms.
Even though the story was colorful and featured animal characters, and I learned about it in a college classroom, the lesson should be in a conversation everyone is a part of. A lot of philosophy can be incorporated into everyday life, so remember, think about the things you do, why you do them, and what the best way to do them is.
Make sure if you don't present at this year's Cabrini Day that you support your peers and get involved. Follow our special Cabrini Day on Instagram and Twitter at @cabriniuday and join one of the weekly Twitter chats on Wednesdays at 2pm during the Common Hour!