Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving. It is a season when many of us slow our pace to reflect on the past months as well as give thanks for and count our many blessings. It has been my observation that when I have been intentional about counting my blessings, I have always found that “my cup” is more than full!

2024 has been a year when most of you have been running very hard. Implementing a new strategic plan and chasing ambitious goals is not for the faint of heart! But this is a marathon, not a sprint, and as a seasoned marathon runner I can tell you there are times to rest and reflect. Thanksgiving is one of those times.?I encourage you to give yourself the gift of slowing down and reflecting on all you have achieved and to ready yourselves for the next leg of the marathon.

It has been more than two years since my spinal cord injury. I was told to expect ups and downs due to my lack of mobility and compromised immune system. In 2024, I have spent about 50 days in the hospital or in a skilled care nursing home. The most challenging period followed major surgery in January where the prescribed recovery was six weeks in bed while never inclining more than 10°, and never being able to be out of bed!? While this was a period of great difficulty, it did not become a dark time.?Why do I say that? The care I received was exceptional. And almost every day, I had visitors who lifted my spirits – and when I was in the nursing home, they had to travel 10 miles out of Iowa City to visit.?

I have never looked forward to coming home as much as I did on that one February afternoon! This experience reinforced something I have always believed: when you do something nice for someone, there is never a downside. So often at Thanksgiving, we focus on what we have received but today I want to flip that on its head and reflect on the idea that in giving, we also receive. In my example, the kindness and care shown to me by others motivated me to look for opportunities to reach out to others in need.

The founder of the Methodist Church, John Wesley, had several simple “rules” for living. The first of these was to “do all the good you can.” From your perch, take a look around the company. No doubt you will see folks that are in need. Perhaps there is a fractured relationship with another coworker. Or maybe a family member with health or personal struggles. Ask yourself how you can be a blessing to your friend, co-worker, family member or client; or said another way, do all the good you can.?

One characteristic of successful teams is that the members look out for each other. So, yes, by all means count your blessings. But also consider it to be a blessing when you can serve another who is in need. After all, what goes around comes around and there are times when your cup is full and you can share that with others, and other times when you are grateful that someone has helped you replenish your cup.

If there was an “aha” moment for me in 2024, it was this: while recovering from my surgery in a nursing home 10 miles south of Iowa City, I needed to be seen several times by my surgeon. As I had to remain in a prone position at all times, this would have meant calling an ambulance to transport me to and from my surgeon‘s office. Rather than doing that, he drove out of his way after work several times to examine me in the nursing home! And he refused to take any credit for that, simply saying “he was just doing his job!” The world is full of stories of small-but-important ways people act with kindness in this way, and it makes a difference.

Happy Thanksgiving! Do all the good you can and take time to count your blessings along the way.