Giving Thanks

Through the years, I’ve attended events honoring Active U.S. Military and Veterans. Yet this post-election Veterans Day event was different. I was moved to tears as I really considered that each one of those Vets were willing to die for me – a stranger.

The speaker said, “let’s remember it is because of the service and sacrifice of Veterans that we live in a free country with the ability to protest and to disagree.” He acknowledged the division in our country. He challenged us to be respectful and tolerant of our fellow human beings. He suggested we think and act in a way that says, “I’ll respect your right to disagree. Our beliefs are different, but I will not hate you. I’ll remember that as humans, we are more similar than different.”

And that brought me back to where we started. There are strangers willing to die for us regardless of our beliefs. And there are strangers willing to hate us because of our beliefs.
And yet, I think most people would help and serve a stranger in need. Our country and our world may be flawed, but I have seen the kindness and generosity of strangers at home and abroad.

At Standish Foundation, our donors give time and money to help strangers – children and families they will never meet. We want to thank our donors for honoring and supporting the “strangers” we serve.

It is because of your kindness and generosity that we continue our work to support hospitalized children and their families. In 2016, we supported health care providers and ill children and their families in Texas, Philadelphia, Mexico, Republic of Georgia, Kenya and Uganda. Our programs impacted over 3500 hospitalized children.

It is people like you with a “Veteran’s Heart” who will help bridge the gap between stranger and neighbor in our communities, our country and the world. And I believe that it is the collective selflessness and kindness that will help us respect our similarities in spite of our differences.