By Chester Charter Healthy Highlights reporters | Gratitude can change your mindset in a positive way, said Dr. Deminico, director of CCSA middle school. In a recent interview with the Healthy Highlights, she told reporters what she is grateful for and how she shows gratitude. Showing gratitude can be beneficial for a person’s physical and mental health, according to researchers at UCLA. It can reduce depression and anxiety. It also can improve a person’s ability to deal with stress and help them sleep better, the researchers wrote in an article on the university’s website. The UCLA researchers say 15 minutes a day of practicing gratitude can make a difference in a person’s health.
The following questions and answers from the interview with Dr. Deminico have been lightly edited.
Q: Describe an experience you had recently where you felt grateful.
Dr. Deminico: I was grateful to sell my mom’s house that she had lived in for the past 70 years. Her neighbor who helps people buy and sell houses helped her. I appreciated that the neighbor was patient with my mom during the process.
Q: How did this experience affect you?
Dr. Deminico: It was sad because my mom had lived there so long. It was my childhood home. But I was also happy because my mom will now be safe and closer to me.
Q: How do you show gratitude to others?
Dr. Deminico: I like to express myself by writing a letter, sending an email or text, or just say face-toface how grateful I am for them.
Q: How do you like others to show gratitude?
Dr. Deminico: I receive gratitude through people’s actions like hugs or a smile.
Q: How does it make you feel when others express that they are grateful for you?
Dr. Deminico: I feel cared about and that I matter. It brings me joy. And I feel valued.
Q: What are you grateful for?
Dr. Deminico: I feel grateful that I have a job with teachers and children whom I learn from. That brings me joy. So do my own two daughters.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to add?
Dr. Deminico: It is important to show gratitude by being kind and caring. You can wake up every day and find something to appreciate. I try to show gratitude every day. You can keep a journal to remind you about what you are grateful for.
Illustration by Ella, fourth grade, Charles W. Henry School, 2025-26.
