LETTER FROM
THE PRESIDENT
A few weeks ago, I hosted a birthday dinner
for my daughter and my two granddaughters.
It was a few days after the tragedy in France.
One of my granddaughters asked me about
what happened. It was a tough question. I
couldn’t begin to explain that senseless,
harmful event.
But, the subsequent outpouring of support
for the citizens of France reinforced that it is
both inspiring and humbling when one sees
examples of people reaching out to help their
fellow human beings in selfless, beneficent
ways. These acts — both big and small —
change the lens through which we see
situations.
Often, the holiday season can prove to
be a time of reflection and gratitude: a time
to give thanks for all the blessings in our
lives. And, by “blessings,” we invariably
think of the things we think of as “good.”
Family. Friends. Fellowship.
For some, however, the holidays can be
lonely and painful. Our nightly news reminds
us that we are living in turbulent times.
For this reason, I contend this is the time
to move back into a state of gratitude for all
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the blessings that we do have. In the wake
of tragedy, we see an outpouring of love in
countless, tiny kindnesses. We observe
poignant examples of compassion and
caring. My hope is that out of chaos will
come something beautiful and even
stronger than what was lost.
As I look around at the various challenges
people I know are facing, I am so grateful
that we are together as we go through
these times. I am pretty sure as humans
we agreed to do this together; be there for
one another. No one said it would be easy,
but we can do it and we can do it more
easily when we connect with each other.
Our families. Our friends. Our colleagues.
When you lean on them, they will become
your levity and your gravity. You will be
more than able to cope with whatever the
world brings your way.
I ask everyone having a rough time to
take a moment and to honestly reach for
the feeling of gratitude. How can we find
gratitude in a world that seeks to destroy
it? Choose it. Intentionally. You’ll likely not
find gratitude in your next purchase; it is
available in your heart right now. Count
your blessings. This practice has the
potential to fill your heart. Stop focusing on
what you don’t have. Too many people
never realize gratitude because they spend
so much mental energy focused on what
they don’t have. Open your eyes to those
with less. Let a feeling of gratitude restore
you and give you energy and the hope to
move forward.
Sometimes we give thanks for the
smallest things. And that moment of
thankfulness can usually more than
balance the scales in the long run. Life lived
in gratitude is the truest measure of joy.
Rowland K. Robinson
President
Baylor Health Care System Foundation
[email protected]