Fred Rogers, of Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood fame, often told about his mother’s encouragement in troublesome times:

“When the news is scary, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of disaster, I remember my mother’s words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers — so many caring people in this world. This world is full of doctors and nurses, police and firemen, volunteers, neighbors and friends who are ready to jump in to help when things go wrong.”

We see unsung heroes all around us. They are the helpers who, despite the pandemic, are keeping essential services going with courage and dedication.

Let’s add to Mr. Roger’s list the shopkeepers, grocery store clerks, the shelf stockers, the city and county employees, restaurant cooks and servers, fast food workers, mail carriers, delivery drivers, and too many to list! But, think about living life without them!

And what about our nursing homes, memory care, and assisted living communities? They employ many unsung heroes who do the laundry, clean the rooms, make the meals, and provide personal care to our loved ones (who they cannot social distance from). Administrators keep everything going, ensuring safety precautions are taken by each employee to prevent spread of disease into or out of the building. Some facilitate family visits on ZOOM or in other creative ways.

Then there are doctors, nurses, maintenance people, electricians, plumbers, auto mechanics, builders, locksmiths, and food and prescription delivery drivers.

Not to be forgotten are the volunteers and staff at Shipley Center. We have been meeting via ZOOM every week, trying to figure out ways to serve and communicate with you better … getting this newsletter out, for instance.

Working under these conditions and the invisible threat of COVID-19, everyone is stressed.

How can we show gratitude? We should be greeting everyone we can with “smiling eyes” over our masks and cheery words of encouragement and gratitude daily. Think about writing a brief note of appreciation to someone who has gone out of their way for you. With an attitude of thankfulness towards others, we can avoid being thought of as that stereotypical “old grump”!

We hear too many stories of people snapping at each other and making workers’ lives miserable with negative attitudes, demands, complaining, and even refusing to comply with precautions put in place for everyone’s safety.

To help us smile more while enjoying a great meal you don’t have to prepare, how about making a commitment to order takeout food from The Café at least once a week? Not only will you be helping to boost The Café’s revenue, but you can get out of the kitchen, savoring a delicious meal at a reasonable price. Here’s The Café’s menu.

Remember, when you look for the helpers … thank them and express your gratitude! With positive attitudes and everyone’s cooperation, we will make it through this time of crisis!

Sincerely,
Michael