As I write this column just after Thanksgiving, I’m reminded that gratitude and generosity are two sides of the same coin, and perspective shapes the regard we have for both.
Listening to the car radio on my drive from home to work, I heard the story of a man who lived in West Texas and moved to Colorado where he built a house with a large picture window expecting to sit and enjoy the beautiful scenery but then complained that there was nothing to look at but mountains. Another man moved from Colorado to West Texas so that mountains wouldn’t impede his view. He built a house with a huge picture window, but he, too, complained that there was nothing to see but Mesquite trees and sand for mile upon mile.
The lesson in this story is that perspective shapes what we experience in life. So whether it’s mountains or desert out the window, or in our case, the beautiful and noteworthy town of New Harmony, a positive perspective helps us discover a way, each day, to be satisfied and grateful. Every day at the Ford Home, I see how this attitude (sprinkled with humor) can make a difference in how our residents and staff accept and acknowledge reality.
In a recent morning meeting, I asked our leadership to name the things for which they were most thankful. They listed the following:
- Grateful for a company that respects me as a person and takes care of me as I give back and care for others – Connie
- Grateful for my Charles Ford family and friends – Sue
- Grateful for my coworkers who make up a family that I chose and would do anything for and for the grace, tolerance, and forgiveness I receive from them – Christy
- Grateful for the amazing new role models I’ve had this year – Taylor
- Grateful for my boss’s leadership and all her resources – Dylan
- Grateful for the opportunity to teach and to guide – Tracy
- Grateful for health and for the Ford Home’s quality of care that exceeds anything she has seen in this industry – Karen
On a personal note, I want to add that I am especially grateful for the wonderful people who live and work at the Charles Ford Retirement Community, for our dedicated board of directors, and for the newly acquired technology that supports our residential assisted living service and the newly established hospice care service. To date, Hospice in Harmony has received a license to provide hospice care in the state of Indiana and we are in the final steps toward receiving the same for the state of Illinois. Our hospice care team has been hired and we expect to be fully operational in the first or second quarter of 2024.
In keeping with this holiday season, festivities have launched at the Charles Ford Retirement Communities. Our whimsical inflatables were up on the lawn last week, and we’re in full-scale readiness for scheduled community activities and in-house celebrations with our residents and staff, their families, and friends. Regardless of the number of years in our life, excitement builds as Christmas and the New Year approaches.
In closing, a special note of gratitude goes to our hospice consultant, Staci Krueger, who has taught us that by locking arms we become stronger, and when life happens and the unexpected bumps into us, we hold together. That visual gives us a positive perspective as we move forward.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
