Be Thankful

It is difficult for me to write this week’s blog without even knowing how many of you have survived Hurricane Sandy. I can say that in my lifetime which is just over a half century I have never experienced anything so devastating and that includes 9/11. To give you an update my family and I are fine and so are our homes. The worst we experienced was lack of power for a couple of days and having to throw out what was in our refrigerators and freezers – no big deal all of that can be replaced.

I still have friends who are now on a full week of no power and are looking at their second week of no power; but, they still have their homes and cars with no damage. I do have some work colleagues who I understand have had car and home damage; but, none to the extent of the individuals who lived on the shores of Long Island, New Jersey and Staten Island. I cannot even mention the folks from Breezy Point in Brooklyn who lost their homes to flood and fire – 111 of them.

In a few weeks we will be celebrating Thanksgiving – a truly traditional American holiday. A holiday that it does not matter what your ethnic background or religious belief is; because we are Americans honoring the first families who came to this land and gave thanks for their freedom. So although we may have to wait in lines for gas, may not yet have our power or cannot find our favorite food on the store shelves – let’s give thanks that we have a roof over our heads, we have a car that we can use to get us to places and that this too shall pass.

As we give thanks – let’s think of ways that we can help and support those families which have been less fortunate than us. Can we provide clothes, food to them and can we place pressure on our local and federal government to ensure that our fellow New Yorkers, New Jerseyans and Connecticut neighbors receive the aid that they are due.

Being an American means helping others – this time let’s help our own.