Dear Senior Center Member,
I hope this email finds you well and safe.
Sending my best wishes to you all for a Happy Thanksgiving filled with an abundance of health and joy.
The following words are written by friend and neighbor, Roseann Cetta Rappoccio, an educator in the South Brunswick School District. (I have slightly edited them).
Thanksgiving
What if we flipped the script as they say? What if we focused on all that we have, and all that’s working, and all the good, instead of the opposite. What if we lived in that space for awhile?
I’ve always been fascinated by survival stories -- ordinary people who’ve lived through unthinkable loss, sadness, and trauma. Somehow they manage to go on, to laugh and to love, and to find joy. Here’s the thing- we are in a pandemic right now. And if you’re safe, and you have a roof over your head and food on the table, money to pay your bills, haven't suffered a loss, then let’s be real; we are managing.
There are people really struggling. Our biggest concern should be the poor, unemployed or underemployed, the sick, the elderly, the lonely.
These times are just so difficult! I am grateful my kids, my family -- we’re all healthy. We have a comfortable home and our basic needs are met.
In fact, let’s be honest; we have far more than our basic needs. We have books, parks, access to the Internet, Netflix, and Prime. We have Door Dash and Instacart and Amazon. If you or your children and grandchildren are still somehow bored, it’s OK. In fact, you can use those moments to reach out and connect to others or anything else that may fill your time. When was the last time you were bored anyway?
What if we focused on all that we have right now instead of what we are missing out on? Write it down. All the things. Count the little silly things; (online shopping, a pretty yellow leaf, FaceTime, fresh air, apple pie) Now look at that list. Be grateful.
Let’s hunker down, pray for our essential workers, the elderly, the sick, the poor, the lonely. Let’s focus on getting through this and looking forward to gentler times, back to the normal things we once did. Let’s use this time as a way to give gratitude for how lucky we really are. And let’s never forget the lesson we have been taught: we are in this together, we sometimes sacrifice for each other, many of us still have a full and beautiful life even if it’s altered, even if it’s not what we wanted, even if it’s not what we expected. We’ve been given a new perspective too: one that says we need to make the most of our time here, laugh a lot, love a lot, take care of one another.
