Photo above taken during the 2019 Thanksgiving Food Drive.
An Antidote of Gratitude
As one might imagine, these messages are written days before Mother Warde Motivational Mondays roll around each week. And yet, just as RBG’s passing on a Friday night—the holy night of Rosh Hashanah—ignited a waft of emotion across our nation and necessitated a shift in some of the messaging for With Mission in Mind, once again a historical weekend event has interrupted our country’s arrhythmia, and required a little outpatient surgery to today’s message.
On Saturday evening, a message of unity swept over our nation like a much needed salve on our wounded nation as President-elect Joe Biden celebrated his running mate Vice President-elect Kamala Harris—the first female, first Black, first Indian American, and first bi-racial person ever to hold the office in our nation’s history. And all of this occurring just one week before another holy day, Diwali—the Festival of Lights marking the end of the Hindu year.
As an academic Community of Faith, Service, and Belonging, these most recent signs and wonders closely align with who we are and what we believe in. Yet in the uncertain wake of this post-election season, coupled with the looming double pandemic of racism and a deadly virus, I feel a responsibility to stress the importance of balance as we work towards a cure for both.
National health experts are now declaring racism as a public health crisis, and as the FXW Community works to Do More and do our part in creating meaningful change, I believe we all recognize the potent antidotes of love and gratitude must also be injected into any successful master plan. One place we can all begin doing more is by being present on December 9 at 7 p.m. for our upcoming Community Conversation on Race as Dr. Amanda Lewis and Dr. Derrick Gay respond to questions that weigh heavily on the minds of community members. To register for this virtual conversation, click here.
As for the Season of Light we are soon entering, I turn over the reflection reins to Preschool teacher and Living the Legacy Coordinator Beth Amatangelo who, in this interview, graces us with a testimonial brimming with gratitude and a love for the mission we all hold near and dear to our hearts. Thank you for your contributions to our annual Thanksgiving Drive which begins today and runs through Thursday, November 19.
—Kendall Mallette, Director of Mission Integration
