“Nearly every moment of every day, we have the opportunity to give something to someone else – our time, our love, our resources.” – S. Truett Cathy
Preparing to write my April Note, I read the quote above from Chick-Fil-A founder Truett Cathy. Our world, our country, our Commonwealth, our region, our county, our community, our friends, neighbors, and colleagues – all are in need in some way. We all have not only the opportunity, but the privilege to give. You might say, “I am not wealthy, so I do not have much to give, or I am too old to give anything.” I could not disagree more. First, you have the wealth of yourself – the Bible says we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” All of us, not some of us, are blessed with gifts and talents designed specifically to meet needs and challenges others face. We are blessed with those gifts and talents to share with others. If we were not meant to share, each of us would have all the gifts, talents, and abilities we need to get through life without anyone else. Despite being wonderfully made, we are not completely self-sufficient. We need others and others need us, and as Mr. Cathey notes, we have that opportunity to share every moment of every day.
Last month, I wrote about support, the support you provide through encouragement. I have been watching and listening these past days, and I see and hear you giving of your time, love and resources. You take time to speak to each other and to the staff. You look in on friends who might need a kind or lifting word. You write notes and cards to congratulate and console. You invite fellow residents to join you for a meal or learning a new activity. You share your gifts and talents opening new doors for those seeking to tackle hobbies that bring you joy. You understand when someone is having a rough time or may not be in the best of moods and extend your grace and comfort. You support local organizations, your church or place of worship, and our Fellowship Fund.
I thank you for letting your light shine as you seize the opportunity Mr. Cathey describes. We are rich in our time, talents, love and/or treasure, and each day we will be given the opportunity to share from our blessings. As we brighten our part of the world, our light will extend out farther than we can begin to imagine. Any one of us might be the light at the end of the tunnel another of us desperately needs. May we be that light for someone.
Welcome to spring at RWC! Enjoy all it has to offer including our continuing Viewpoints speaker series, Great Courses, the Artist of the Month – our very own photographer extraordinaire – Ruth Fisher, the annual Voyages program for life planning, and a trip to the Virginia International Tattoo. On April 25th the 35th Annual Foundation Golf Tournament will be held at the Golden Eagle in support of the Fellowship Fund.
-Stuart Bunting