November 2008 — Gratitude

This coming holiday season, we are reminded more than ever, that materialism is not the keyword for 2009. With the stalled economy we are forced to rethink our priorities, cut back on unnecessary purchases and remember what the word, "frugal" means. This is a hard thing to do, particularly if we have friends and neighbors in the retail business who are finding it hard to make ends meet. I know that when I go to a small retail shop, I become guilty if I don't purchase something from the nice people who own it!

As Thanksgiving is poised just three weeks away, are we able to feel gratitude with such financial debacles occurring constantly? The answer is that we can and we must!

For instance, we can be grateful for our own health. Yes, I know that we are not all completely "the pictures of health", but think of the alternatives. If we can talk, walk, eat, see and hear then we are blessed. Keep it in the day. Someday this might change, but for this moment in time, we can truly say we are whole.

If you still have your parents, who are albeit, elderly; you are likewise blessed. Do you also have loving children, a devoted spouse and caring friends? Then you are very lucky. Have you got a nice home, heat and hot water, good food and clean water? These blessings are not to be found among the millions of third world people alive today. Not one of us living in this country can even imagine what the starvation and fear felt by these people is like.

If you have skills that enable you to work... you are likewise fortunate. Many cultures have no options for work! Even if you have the difficulties which surround care-giving for a loved one, you are blessed with a meaningful, purposeful life. There are so many lonely, homeless and disassociated souls out there. They would trade us our lives in an instant.

Hardships come and go. One day you are caring for someone and feeling burdened and the next day your "charge" is gone. Over. Just like that. Then you are consumed with sadness; wishing that you never said that you felt burdened. I say all of this because I have lived it and learned it. The months after my father's double stroke were filled with stress and time consuming trips to hospitals and doctors; but were a mere fraction of the time that I received from Dad in support, love and happiness. What I wouldn't give now to see his beautiful smile or hear his words of reassurance.

So if you are finding it difficult to call up gratitude in your life right now, just remember how lucky we are to be Americans who grew up in prosperous times and able to receive good health care, education, shelter and food. Be grateful for the freedoms that we, a democratic society have; thanks to the foresight of the founding fathers and mothers; Abigail and John Adams being our most cherished. This economic thing we are experiencing will pass eventually and hopefully we will acquire some wisdom from it. We are all so guilty of wanting to blame everyone else for this situation we are now in, but I think we are all guilty of waste, accumulating too much and consuming wantonly. We have all laughed at "depression era babies". Now I think we finally "get it" and the messages that they have been passing on.

Let's use the Thanksgiving holiday this year as an important reminder that the gifts that (God) has given us... .health, family and friends, clean food and drink, purpose and our unalienable rights are plenty! These are what really matter..in the final analysis. Happy Holidays!

Julie Wesolowski, Program Director

What's cooking at the Abby Club?

The main event for October was our gigantic yard sale which was held on Saturday, October 18, 2008. It was a bit nippy out that day, but thankfully it didn't rain, and we had a large amount of people who came to shop. The purpose was to raise funds for scholarships to be given out to Abigail Adams Center participants who have been affected by the numerous cuts to public assistance in our community..most notably our loss of the South Shore Elders/Old Colony Elders contract and the discontinuance of the Alzheimer Disease Support Group of the South Shore's FRAP grants. We are so grateful to all of the families who donated items and to the folks who helped run the event. Thanks to Priscilla Connors and family, Barbara Wight, Jane Hohmann, The Tobins, Janet Southworth, Michele Lamie, The Cullivans, Arthur Tierney, Gloria Varrasso, Ray Molling, Aldo Delvecchio, Steven Delucca, The Donley's, Elisette Rossini, Vivian Toland, the Grazianos, Bob Tenaglia, the Verlicco's, Karen Desler, Nancy Desharnais, John Metallides, Julie and Frank Wesolowski and Joanne Rose: all from whom we received donations of objects to sell. (If I have forgotten anybody, please forgive me.) Thanks to all of those wonderful people who donated their time helping to run the event (especially in that freezing cold), Paul and Lucia Cullivan, Priscilla Connors, Linda Alemian, Pat Artis and Jack Phillips, Frank and Julie Wesolowski, Maria and Frank Festa, Pat Chase, and Joe Verlicco! We couldn't have done it without you!! The result of the yard sale was that we raised $900.00 toward grants! We will plan for our next yard sale at the start of Spring of 2009; so save all of your good hand-me-downs for us! We may also be holding some mini-fundraisers in between the two yard sales!

We had a few fun field trips this past September/October. We had a lovely ice cream trip a few weeks ago to Stanney's restaurant in Holbrook for delicious sundaes. (check out our bulletin boards for pictures of these events)And last week we took eight of our clients to the Halloween vocabulary parade at the Murphy School in Weymouth, as the judges for the costumes. It was a beautiful day and we were able to sit outdoors to view the parade! Our thanks to the Murphy School for inviting us.

For this month, we will be planning for a field trip to either Cannoli's or Hearth and Kettle at the end of the month. We will be sending out notices with our clients as we get closer to the date. The anticipated cost (amount to send in) is $15.00.

Just a reminder... we will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, November 27th, but will be open the day after. Anybody who ordinarily comes on Thursday can "make-up" her/his day on an alternate day. Also, for the month of December, we will not be having a Saturday open date, as the demand has not been enough for us to justify opening. If people are interested in a January date, please speak to Julie about your needs.

Lastly, we will close at 2:30PM on Christmas eve on Wednesday, December 24th and will be closed on Christmas day December 25, 2008. Please make arrangements to have somebody at home to receive your loved one.

On Abby's Christmas wish list: Ginger Ale, Crystal light,
Ice Cream and donations toward the Abby grant fund