NOV/DEC
2023
Garden Center Services
The View From My Chair A MESSAGE FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Gerry & Lucian at the GCS Halloween Party
INSIDE THIS ISSUE THE VIEW FROM MY CHAIR Page 1 GCS’S BAKING CLUB Page 2 GARDEN APARTMENTS Page 3 THRIFT NEWS Page 4
As much as I enjoy the season of Christmas, I feel that at this time in our lives Thanksgiving needs to be our most revered and celebrated holiday. Not so much for the history and myth that are its underpinnings, but because of a hope that a day dedicated nationally and personally to an expression of gratitude for all the marvels that make up our lives is the surest way to bring some healing to the brokenness and division that we are experiencing.
And what is gratitude really? Robert Emmons, perhaps the world’s leading scientific expert on gratitude suggests that gratitude has two key components. First, it’s an assertion that there is goodness in the world, experienced through the large and small gifts and benefits that we receive on an ongoing basis.
Be Mindful, Be Grateful, Be Positive, Be True, Be Kind” -Roy T. Bennett
Secondly is the recognition of all the people and even higher powers that provide us with the nurturing that help us achieve goodness in our own lives.
In the past two decades, a growing body of evidence in the field of social science has found that gratitude has measurable benefits for just about every area of our lives. Gratitude appears to contribute substantially to individual well-being and physical health. So much so that the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley - a leader in research on the science of social and emotional wellbeing describes gratitude as “social glue”, key to building and nurturing strong relationships. Here’s are some of the top reasons for practicing gratitude: Feel Happier, Strengthen Positive Recall, Deepen Resilience, Boost Immunity and Heart Health, Calm the Nervous System, Make Healthier Choices, Stronger Connections …… continued on page 4