Being Thankful

11/27/2025

Happy Thanksgiving!

In the United States, Thanksgiving encourages us to pause and count our blessings. This season often reminds me how gratitude grows when we listen to others. Recently, I have spoken with many nonprofits, and their stories highlight the challenges their clients face. These conversations also reveal the strength people show in difficult moments.

Fortunately, the nonprofit world offers hope every day. Compassionate teams work hard to fill gaps and support people who feel overwhelmed.

A Flood of Thoughts.

Over the years, I have collected memories that still guide me. For example, I remember a senior center director asking a client what he wanted for Christmas. The man asked for a sports coat so he could look presentable at his burial. My wife and I were part of a feeding program that provided peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to children. We encourage kids who had to leave early to take a sandwich home to eat at their kitchen table. We noticed one child lowering their head and leaving the sandwich on the counter walking away, thinking they did not qualify because she lived in at the homeless shelter. I also recall a woman with mental health challenges who lived in a shed without electricity or running water, yet she survived with remarkable determination. No matter how hard people tried to help her, she wanted to live her life this way.

Resilience.

All the examples remind us that humans show incredible resilience and continue to adapt even when life feels harsh. Each day, strength is rebuilt, and somehow, someway, people move forward.

A Positive Note.

As we celebrate Thanksgiving, I invite you to choose gratitude through small, consistent actions. Every kind word creates a connection, and every supportive gesture strengthens someone’s resilience. Therefore, let’s enter this season with open hearts and a commitment to uplift others. We can make this world a little brighter, one compassionate choice at a time. I truly believe in this statement: What we do in life echoes in eternity! ~ A quote from the movie Gladiator. 

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