Letter: Itt

Santa is not the only rotund, ruddy-cheeked, instantly recognizable icon who made his appearance by way of the chimney.

Although whether Cousin Itt was ruddy-cheeked is unknown given Itt’s “entire body is shrouded by long hair,” the chimney-sliding introduction of this iconic figure in each of the episodes of “The Addams Family” in which Itt arrives on the scene makes Itt a bit of a kindred spirit of Kris Kringle.

But there the similarity – to ‘it’ when ‘it’ makes an appearance in our lives – stops.

“It,” wrote W. Moodie, D.D., “is the storm that tries the strength of the vessel.”

‘It,’ observed Cecil Osborne in his book “How to be a Whole Person” is that which alone can produce “any significant step of growth,” or result in “a measurable change in personality.”

‘It,’ said Osborne, is “the sharp stab of a crisis or the dull throb of frustration.”

‘It,’ is adversity. Adversity can enable and embolden. ‘It’ produces character.

And character, wrote William Bennis, “is as vital in a leader as drive and competence. It is not enough for a leader to do things right; he must do the right thing” (“On Becoming a Leader”).

If we’re to grow, let alone lead, ‘it’ is the only way.