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defeated the Greek army, restored their temple, then celebrated for eight days. The symbol most commonly associated with Hanukkah, the menorah, commemorates the miracle of just a day’s worth of oil keeping the menorah in the SecondTemple lit for eight days. In remembrance of the miracle related to the oil, Jews indulge in tasty foods fried in oil during Hanukkah. Of course, there’s also the exchange of gifts throughout the eight day period, symbolic of the many gifts provided by divine providence during the rededication of the temple. Hanukkah is, at its roots, a celebration of faith and endurance. According to the first book of Maccabees, “Then, Judas and his brothers and the entire congregation of Israel decreed that the days of the dedication of the altar should be observed with joy and gladness on the anniversary every year for eight days, from the twenty-fifth day of the month Chislev.”

In a similar vein, Thanksgiving’s earliest beginnings were both celebratory and religious by nature. The Pilgrims at

This year, Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 28th. The first day of Hanukkah also falls on this date. The joint occurrence of these two holidays is extremely rare –– it’s only happened once before in 1888, and experts on the Jewish calendar say it won’t happen again for another 70,000 years! We may not often associate Hanukkah and Thanksgiving, but both emerged under similar circumstances as celebrations of faith and religious freedom. In both traditions, we share feasts and allow scrumptious food to symbolize the broader gifts of life.

Hanukkah commemorates the Maccabean rebellion of the second century B.C. According to the first book of Maccabees, Judas Maccabee led an army of exiled Jews into Jerusalem to combat the Greeks, who were in the process of “hellenizing” the Jews. This meant suppressing essential customs of the Jewish faith and forcing Jews to adopt Greek customs and religious practices. The Maccabean rebels confronted and

Harvest Fest CelebrationNorton Zieff TrioThursday, November 21 at 2:30 PMCelebrate the Fall season with jazz musicians Norton Zieff, Ray DeMarco and George Blodgett. The trio will play favorites from Gershwin, Porter and more!

November 2013A Guide to Celebrating Thanksgiving and Hanukkah

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Community OutingsForever Fit provides fitness services to senior living residences around the greater Boston area, providing educated and certified exercise professionals who work directly with residents. We are delighted to welcome their expertise to Youville. The Forever Fit group exercise class at Youville has become extremely popular over the last several months. While there is a core group of regulars attending the class, new participants are always welcome. The class is designed to be safe and fun while accommodating all levels of fitness. In each class exercises are aimed at improving mobility, strength, balance, flexibility, and endurance. Exercises are performed seated and standing using body weight and resistance bands. One of the main objectives of the class is to help prevent falls. Participants have reported a 55 percent increase in hip and leg strength (demonstrated through our “sit to stand” assessment). Leg strength is an important part in preventing a fall. Improvements in walking can also be expected.Come join class instructors Chris Parchmann and Stefan Mogielnicki at the next group class. Check the monthly calendar for time and dates. Forever Fit is now offering personal training sessions! Personal training is great for those residents who prefer an individualized exercise program. A free, in-person consultation is available until the end of November. For more information, please contact Chris Parchmann at (617) 901-4637 to schedule your assessment, and discuss pricing and scheduling.

Lunch Trip: Wayside InnWednesday, November 6Depart: 10:45 AMReturn: 3:00 PM Cost: $ for lunchThe Wayside Inn serves hearty traditional Yankee fare and New England classics such as Yankee pot roast and fresh sea scallops. Enjoy lunch in their wonderfully rustic and elegant dining room.The ride is beautiful and the company will be fun. Treat yourself to an historic outing just before Thanksgiving.

Afternoon Tea at the Colonial InnFriday, November 22Depart: 1:30 PMReturn: 5:00 PM Cost: $22.00Located in the heart of historic downtown Waltham, Massachusetts, the Tea Leaf has been a favourite retreat for those seeking casual elegance and a relaxed haven. Since The Tea Leaf opened in November 2005, tea lovers throughout New England and around the world have visited our quaint tearoom while in the Boston area. The locals are “regulars” to The Tea Leaf and have embraced the unique atmosphere that it offers.

Holiday MealsPlease remember to make meal reservations for your holiday guests. Dining Room Reservation forms are available at the Reception Desk.

If you are planning to enjoy your Thanksgiving meal with guests at Youville House, please complete the form in your mailbox and we will reserve a table for you. We always welcome guests in the Dining Room, and encourage families and friends to stay for lunch or dinner when they visit. Please provide advance noticeso we can accommodate all of our residents and guests.

Thank youMike Dickerson, Director of Dining Services

Get in Shape with Forever Fit

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Celebrate Veterans Day with Jack CraigGreat Songwriter–– George LoesserThursday, November 14 at 3:30 PM Frank Loesser’s career started with writing radio scripts and vaudeville sketches. From his 1930s partnership with Hoagy Carmichael writing “Small Fry” and “Two Sleepy People,” it was to be all songwriting going forward. World War II hits included “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition” and “I Don’t Want to Walk without You,” which were followed by his Academy Award winner “Baby It’s Cold Outside.” Next came Broadway work with “Where’s Charley” in 1948, and his smash hit “Guys and Dolls” in 1950. Loesser’s 1962 Pulitzer Prize proved that he succeeded in the music business!

Book Review with Carole Feeney WithrowTuesday, November 19 at 3:30 PMJoin Carole Feeney Withrow, Senior Services/Outreach Librarian from the Cambridge Public Library, to review books for your reading pleasure. If there is aparticular book that you are interested in taking out of the library, please call Carole at 617-349-4035.

The Salem Witch Trials with Dr. Gary HylanderSaturday, November 30 at 2:00 PM“An army of devils,” warned Reverend Cotton Mather, was on its way to af ict the men and women of the Massa chusetts Bay Colony for their sinfulness and wicked ways. New Englanders believed in the “Old Deluder” and the malevolent powers of his “Invisible World.” When rumors of Tituba’s conjuring of spirits in the household of Reverend Parrish surfaced, power ful witchcraft hysteria seized Salem Village and neighboring towns. By the time the Salem witchcraft trials were suspended, nineteen of the accused, mostly women, had been hanged for the crime of witchcraft.

Chamber Music and the Great American SongbookPeter H. Bloom, Flute and Mark Leighton, GuitarSunday, November 3 at 7:00 PMKnown for their stellar musicianship and highly entertaining concerts, the Peter H. Bloom/Mark Leighton flute and guitar duo will perform dazzling chamber music by G.P. Telemann, Mauro Giuliani, and Astor Piazzolla, plus festive selections from the Great American Songbook by Harold Arlen, George Shearing, Duke Ellington and other legendary tunesmiths.

Art Matters Presents... New York, New York!Thursday, November 7 at 2:00 PMStart spreading the news! There is a love affair between artists and NYC. It is the starting place for immigration and embarkation for trips abroad, the place for artists to be for learning, earning and yearning (paying their dues), the home of possibilities and impossibilities that sometimes come true. If you can make it there, you’ll make it anywhere! Please join us in an artistic celebration of NYC, the unofficial center of the universe, a place so nice, they named it twice.

Late Night Talk Shows with Brett RhineFriday, November 8 at 2:00 PMThe late-night talk show is as old as television itself. The earliest late-night talk shows reached viewers across America. Pioneers like Ed Sullivan and Steve Allen set the standards for this fresh new genre of entertainment. Join television expert Brett Rhine for a look at the greatest late-night hosts, including Steve Allen, Jack Paar, Johnny Carson, David Letterman, Bill Maher and more.

The Oriana Consort Sunday, November 10 at 3:00 PMThe Oriana Consort is a small choral ensemble based in Cambridge. Their repertory is drawn primarily from the Renaissance and the 20th century.

Students from BB&NWednesday, November 13 at 2:30 PM Join students from Buckingham, Browne and Nichols School in Cambridge for an afternoon of activities around the house.

Monthly Highlights...

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9:30 Yoga w/ Annie Hoffman10:00 Flower Arranging 1:30 CRLS Portrait Art Students 2:00 Bridge Club 3:15 Tree Self Portraits w/ Simona 4:00 Rosary 7:00 Classic Movie Night The Band Wagon

9:30 Stretch & Flex10:00 Flower Arranging 1:30 CRLS Portrait Art Students 2:00 Bridge Club 3:00 Parkinson’s Support Group 3:30 Book Review w/ Carole F. 4:00 Rosary 7:00 Classic Movie Night Dance with Me, Henry

10:00 Tai Chi/Chi Gung 1:30 CRLS Portrait Art Students 2:30 BB&N Students Visit... 3:00 Nurturing Room 4:00 Happy Hour 7:00 Documentary Film: Akeelah & the Bee

10:00 Tai Chi/Chi Gung 2:00 Movin’ & Groovin’ w/ Dana 3:30 World Views w/ Herb Patchell 3:00 Nurturing Room 4:00 Happy Hour w/ Al Gould 7:00 Documentary Film: In the Shadow of the Moon

9:30 Stretch & Flex10:30 Reflections w/ Maria Benoit 2:00 Movin’ & Groovin’ w/ Dana 3:30 Great Songwriter: Frank Loesser w/ Jack Craig 7:00 Music & Musical Film: Patti Labelle: Live

Happy Thanksgiving

2:30 Celebrate Thanksgiving w/ Pianist Steve Heck 7:00 Music & Musical Film: Il Divo: Live at the Greek

9:30 Balance Challenge10:15 Blood Pressure Clinic10:15 Coffee Club 2:00 Late Night Talk Show TV w/ Brett Rhine 3:00 Oral History Project 7:00 Double Wind Quintet Open Rehearsals

9:30 Balance Challenge 10:15 Shopping Trip: Porter Sq.10:15 Coffee Club 2:00 Forever Fit! 3:00 Oral History Project 7:00 Movie: Patch Adams 7:00 Bonus Bingo w/ Carol

9:30 Balance Challenge10:15 Shopping Trip: Assembly Sq.10:15 Coffee Club 1:30 Trip: Afternoon Tea at the Tea Leaf 7:00 Movie: The Quartet

9:30 Stretch & Flex10:15 Manicures w/ Yanira 2:00 Matinee Movie: Thelma & Louise 2:00 Bingo w/ Yanira 3:00 Double Wind Quintet Open Rehearsals 7:00 Movie: Thelma & Louise

9:30 Stretch & Flex10:15 Manicures w/ Yanira 2:00 Matinee Movie: Legends of the Fall 2:00 Bingo w/ Yanira 3:30 Autumn Brews 7:00 Movie: Legends of the Fall

Veterans Day 9:30 Balance Challenge12:45 Shopping Trip: Star Market 2:00 What is Chaplaincy ? w/ Maria Benoit 3:15 Bingo w/ Carol 7:00 Songs by Roy P.

9:30 Balance Challenge 10:15 Creative Programs Mtg.12:45 Shopping Trip: Star Market 2:00 Traditions of Hanukkah w/ Maria Benoit 3:15 Bingo w/ Katie 7:00 Songs by Roy P.

Daylight Saving Time ends 2:00 Bridge Club 2:00 Classic TV Comedies: Silent Comedy Classics: 1 7:00 Chamber Music & Jazz Standards w/ Peter Bloom, Flute & Mark Leighton, Guitar

2:00 Bridge Club 2:30 Fall Concert: J.S. Bach: Magnificat w/ the Oriana Consort 7:00 Documentary Film: Chasing Churchill: My Grandfather: 1

2:00 Bridge Club 2:00 Classic TV Comedies: Silent Comedy Classics: 2 7:00 Documentary Film: Chasing Churchill: My Grandfather: 2

2:00 Bridge Club 2:00 Classic TV Comedies: Silent Comedy Classics: 3 7:00 Documentary Film: Chasing Churchill: My Grandfather: 3

Catholic Mass Sunday

at 11:00 AM

Bare Essentials StoreHours

Monday & Friday9:45 AM - 10:45 AM

Beauty SalonHoursFriday

9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

9:30 Balance Challenge10:15 Resident Association Mtg.12:45 Shopping Trip: Trader Joe’s 2:00 Cribbage Tournament 3:15 Bingo w/ Katie 7:00 Movie: The Best of Charlie Chaplin

November 2013

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Election Day 9:30 Stretch & Flex10:00 Flower Arranging 2:00 Bridge Club 2:00 Forever Fit! 3:15 Mandala Making w/ Simona 4:00 Rosary 7:00 Classic Movie Night Words & Music

9:30 Music & Movement w/ Barbara Lyon 10:15 Food Forum 2:30 Harvest Fest Celebration w/ the Norton Zieff Trio 7:00 Music & Musical Film: Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci

9:30 Stretch & Flex10:15 Manicures w/ Yanira 2:00 Caring Canines 3:00 Bingo w/ Yanira 3:00 Double Wind Quintet Open Rehearsals 7:00 Movie: Planes, Trains & Automobile

9:30 Balance Challenge12:45 Shopping Trip: Whole Foods 2:00 Tea for the Soul w/ Maria Benoit 3:15 Bingo w/ Carol 7:00 What’s Happening... w/ Richard Griffin

10:00 Tai Chi/Chi Gung10:45 Lunch Trip: Wayside Inn 2:00 Movin’ & Groovin’ w/ Dana 3:00 Book Club Mtg. 3:00 Nurturing Room 4:00 Happy Hour 5:45 Parlez-vous Francais? 7:00 Documentary Film: Nature: Pale Male

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9:30 Music & Movement w/ Barbara Lyon10:30 Reflections w/ Maria Benoit 2:00 ArtMatters Presents... New York 3:15 Movin’ & Groovin’ w/ Dana 7:00 Music & Musical Film: Charlotte Church: Prelude

All Saint’s Day 9:30 Balance Challenge10:15 Coffee Club11:00 Mass w/ Fr. Lawson 2:00 Jazz Pianist Matt McCabe 3:00 Oral History Project 7:00 Movie: 42 7:00 Bonus Bingo w/ Carol

All Soul’s Day 9:30 Stretch & Flex10:15 Manicures w/ Yanira 2:00 Matinee Movie: Ratatouille 2:00 Bingo w/ Yanira 3:30 Autumn Brews 7:00 Movie: Ratatouille

Hanukkah begins at sundown10:00 Tai Chi/Chi Gung 1:30 CRLS Portrait Art Students 3:00 Nurturing Room 4:00 Happy Hour 7:00 Documentary Film: Nature: Dogs

9:30 Yoga w/ Annie Hoffman10:00 Flower Arranging 1:30 CRLS Portrait Art Students 2:00 Bridge Club 3:15 Working with Pastels w/ Simona 4:00 Rosary 7:00 Classic Movie Night The Harvey Girls

9:30 Stretch & Flex10:15 Manicures w/ Yanira 2:00 Historical Lecture w/ Dr. Gary Hylander The Salem Witch Trials 3:15 Bingo w/ Yanira 7:00 Movie: The Bucket List

9:30 Balance Challenge10:15 Shopping Trip: Porter Sq.10:15 Coffee Club 2:00 November Jeopardy Trivia 7:00 Bonus Bingo w/ Carol 7:00 Movie: Mrs. Doubtfire

A Look at Daylight Saving TimeDaylight saving time ends on Sunday, November 3rd. Remember to set your clocks back an hour and enjoy an extra-long day! Daylight saving time has become a mainstay of the calendar and an ingrained habit for most of us, but we haven’t always set our clocks forward in the spring and set them back in the fall. Anyone who grew up in the early and mid 20th century remembers a time when summer nights weren’t quite as long. Daylight saving time began as a wartime policy for saving energy in the spring and summer. Most of the major countries involved in the first World War, including the United States, instituted daylight saving time to reduce coal use. Congress repealed daylight saving after the war in 1919, and many other countries did the same. Farmers, whose work depended on the sun, objected to changing the clock and helped lead the push to end daylight saving during peacetime. Our entrance onto the stage of World War II and increasing industrialization throughout America led to the reinstatement of daylight saving time in 1945. Twenty years later, in 1966, the United States standardized daylight saving time, setting the guidelines for springing the clock forward in the spring and setting it back in the fall. The Department of Transportation has found that having longer days reduces traffic accidents and crime in the summer (both of which are more likely to occur at night). Households typically save on electricity costs, and many retailers benefit from increased revenue. Fast food chains sell more french fries, and convenience stores and other retailers benefit from shoppers taking advantage of the extra hour of daylight. Having longer days also leads to health benefits, enabling us to spend more time outdoors getting quality exercise.

Daylight Saving Trivia• Daylight saving time was first introduced in 1895 by a New Zealand entomologist named George Vernon Hudson. For Hudson, daylight was essential to his past-time of collecting insects. He proposed a “two-hour daylight savings shift” in a paper presented to the Wellington Philosophical Society.

• For two weeks in 1965, before the passage of the Uniform Time Act, Minnesota’s twin cities, Minneapolis and St. Paul, were an hour apart from one another. St. Paul decided to follow daylight saving time while Minneapolis opted to wait two weeks before “springing forward.”

• In May, 2011, Russia went on permanent daylight saving time, to make their long winters a little less bleak. However, the oddity of having the sun rise at 10:00, and sometimes 11:00 am, proved to be too disorienting. Russia recently decided to reverse the policy of having permanent daylight saving.

Oral History Project with Students from Harvard UniversityYouville House is excited to partner with writers and staff members from The Harvard Advocate, Harvard’s undergraduate literary magazine, to create an oral history project. Each Youville resident who participates will be paired with a student from the magazine. Over the next few months, residents and students will meet for one hour each week on Friday afternoons, chatting and getting to know each other. After the extensive interviewing process, your interviewer will write a piece about your experiences, which will be given to you!

This is an exciting opportunity to share your stories and perspectives with the younger generation. Staff members of the magazine are part of a rich literary tradition. The Harvard Advocate was founded in 1866 and is known for publishing the best prose, poetry and art the undergraduate community has to offer. The staff members all have a strong interest in storytelling and the beauty of the human experience. They can’t wait to start! Please see the Programs office if you are interested in participating.

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• Approximately 71 percent of US Veterans (15.8 million) voted in the 2008 presidential election (compared with 63 percent nonveterans). • The Veteran’s Educational Assistance Act of 2008 provides free tuition and expenses for a four-year college education for veterans with three years of active duty since 9/11/01 (veterans who served for at least 90 days receive 40% of the educational benefit).

continued from page 1Plymouth were religious exiles facing an uncertain and harsh new world. The feast they shared with the Wampanoag Indians was a celebration of survival and the peaceful coexistence between the two peoples. It was also an expression of gratitude for guidance of the Indians and the bountiful resources of the land. Just as the Jews rejoiced that a day’s worth of oil was enough to keep the menorah lit for eight days, the early American colonists and Native Americans gave thanks on that first Thanksgiving in 1621 for the many gifts of nature and divine providence.

This year gives us a unique chance to embrace the best of both holidays. Remember, we won’t get a chance celebrate both simultaneously for another 70,000 years... Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Hanukkah! Shopping Trips

Whole FoodsMonday, November 4Time: 12:45 PM Return: 2:00 PM Porter SquareFriday, November 8 & 22Time: 10:15 AM Return: 12:00 PMStar MarketMonday, November 11 & November 25Time: 12:45 PM Return: 2:00 PMAssembly SquareFriday, November 15Time: 10:15 AM Return: 12:00 PM Trader Joe’sMonday, November 18Time: 12:45 PM Return: 2:00 PM

Celebrate Veterans Day This MonthOn the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, the First World War came to an end in 1918. Both sides declared armistice, paving the way for the Treaty of Versailles seven months later. In 1926, when the US Congress declared “Armistice Day” a legal holiday, they described World War I as “the most destructive, sanguinary, and far reaching war in human annals.” Armistice Day would honor all those who had served in this unprecedented conflict.

In the wake of World War II and the Korean War, the United States redefined November 11th as Veterans Day, a celebration of all veterans who have risked their lives for the greater good of the country. The sheer number of veterans among us today– 22.2 million, from all ages and backgrounds– is a reminder of themagnitude of our debt to those who have served on our behalf. Veterans Day is the perfect occasion to acknowledge that debt and show our gratitude to the veterans in our lives and in our communities.

Interesting Facts:

• In 1636, pilgrims in the colony of Plymouth passed a law that all disabled or wounded soldiers would be supported by the colony. In 1776, the Continental Congress offered pensions for disabled soldiers of the Revolutionary War. • In our lifetime, the GI Bill of 1944 has been the single most influential measure of veterans appreciation. Following World War II, the GI Bill had an enormous impact on American society as a whole. The bill provided low-interest loans, a year of unemployment compensation and low cost mortgages, cash payments for tuition and college-related living expenses. By the end of the program, 2.2 million veterans had used the GI Bill for education benefits.• An estimated 51 percent of World War II veterans took advantage of the GI Bill to obtain an education, and 43 percent of Korean War veterans did the same.• Only 31 of 44 Presidents have entered office as veterans. No member of the Marine Corps or Coast Guard has yet been elected President. 7

November MeetingsFood Forumw/ Director of Dining Services, Mike DickersonThursday, November 21 at 10:15 AM

Resident Association Meetingw/ CEO/President, Joanne ParsonsMonday, November 18 at 10:15 AM

Creative Programs Meetingw/ Director of Programs, Katie BlanchardMonday, November 25 at 10:15 AM

Meal TimesBreakfast7:00 AM - 9:00 AMMain Dining RoomLunchFirst Seating - 11:30 AMSecond Seating - 12:45 PMMain Dining RoomDinnerFirst Seating - 4:30 PMSecond Seating - 5:45 PMMain Dining Room

Bare Essentials Store Store HoursMonday & Friday9:45 AM - 10:45 AM

Store Managers: Mary Ann P. & Lay Lee O.

Catholic Mass Sunday at 11:00 AM

Youville House Management Team

Joanne Parsons CEO/President Joanne Scianna COOJohn Cooney Senior Director of FinanceDinah Olanoff Senior Director of Marketing & CommunicationsJoan Landers, RN Director of WellnessBruce Jordan Director of Environmental ServicesKatie Blanchard Director of Programs Ildiko Szabo Director of Community LifeLisa Yarin Director of MarketingMaria Benoit Director of Mission & Pastoral CareTom Landry Director of Human ResourcesMike Dickerson Director of Dining Services

Programs / Menu Hotline...Hear a recorded list of the daily programs and the menu for lunch and dinner at Youville House. Simply call (857) 253-2024 directly or call the Reception Desk and the receptionist will connect you.

Car/Van Transportation Monday through Friday8:00 AM - 2:00 PMPlease submit your requests for transportation to the Reception Desk forty-eight hours before the date of your appointment. Requests with less than forty-eight hours notice will be accommodated whenever possible, but not guaranteed. The fee for transportation is $8.00 each way for one to five miles and $1.00 for each additional mile. The fee for transportation to the Cambridge Hospital and the Cambridge Harvard Vanguard is $4.00 each way. As always, we will do our best to meet your needs. If you have any questions, feel free to stop by or call.

Katie Blanchard, Director of Programs

Spiritual

Physical

Cognitive

Nutritional

“Even after all this time, The sun never says to the earth, “You owe me.” Look what happens with a love like that. It lights the whole sky. –– Hafiz of Persia

In the mid 1980s my wife, two young daughters and I lived in a poor urban neighborhood on the outskirts of Quito, Ecuador. While running water and electricity were erratic, trash pickup took place every day save Sunday. As was customary each day for all of us in the neighborhood, one spring morning I placed our small container of garbage on the sidewalk just outside the front door. Just as I was turning to go back inside, I could see an elderly indigenous woman approaching with a scruffy, malnourished dog a step or two behind her. She was dressed traditionally in many layers of skirts, a colorful (if very worn) top and brown bowler hat. Before I could say ‘good morning’ to her she nodded, reached for the garbage pail and began to search through it. I froze for a second, trying to find the right words: “Señora, please stop! We have food inside.” “Do you need money?” I was quite sure she was Quechua speaking, but Spanish was the best I could do. Before a single word made its way to my lips she had found part of a chicken carcass (skin, grizzle and a tiny bit of meat still attached) and put it in the plastic bag tied to her belt. I still had no words. For her part, she looked up at me with a small smile to counterbalance her sad eyes and quietly said, “Le agradezco, Señor.” (Thank you, sir) and moved on to the next household. I never saw her again, but I know for certain more light filled that spring morning than I could have ever imagined.

Why would she ever thank me? Given that she surely had almost nothing to her name, conventional thought would say that she had every right to be callous and bitter. How did she find it in herself to express words of gratitude?! How do any of us?

It appears that gratitude is neither proportionate to, nor does it have much to do with, abundance (or scarcity). We only need to look to people we’ve known from different cultures and economic classes who have an eternal disposition towards gratefulness. They are happier and more balanced than most –– much more so than those for whom gratitude is an infrequent visitor. The former bring more light into the world; the latter (entitled, easily offended people) obscure the light. Gratitude isn’t just a temporary positive emotion that surfaces after the rain holds off for the wedding; the MRI shows nothing of concern; the hurricane goes out to sea; tiny traces of food are found on a few chicken bones. It’s a

November 2013Gratitude

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mindset, a conscious decision to practice gratefulness until it becomes part of who we are; to look for what’s right, not just what’s wrong; to have a sense of wonder and see the beauty in and around us. Studies have shown that gratitude impacts our physical and emotional health. In an article for WebMD by Elizabeth Heubeck entitled Boost Your Health With a Dose of Gratitude, If you want to get healthier, give thanks. The author’s research showed that:• “Grateful people take better care of themselves and engage in more protective health behaviors like regular exercise, a healthy diet, regular physical examinations.” (University of California Davis psychology professor, Robert Emmons)• “Feelings of thankfulness have tremendous positive value in helping people cope with daily problems, especially stress.” (Emmons)• Grateful people tend to be more optimistic, a characteristic that researchers say boosts the immune system. “There are some very interesting studies linking optimism to better immune function,” says Lisa Aspinwall, PhD.

For thousands of years philosophers and religious leaders across many cultural and denominational traditions have been acclaiming the individual and collective benefits of gratitude. Over 700 years ago the Dominican Friar and mystic, Meister Eckhart said it simply and straightforwardly: “If the only prayer you say in your whole life is ‘thank you,’ that would suffice.” A contemporary American author spoke of it with more detail: “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity... It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.” (Melody Beattie)

What are we grateful for today? Einstein said, “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” Somehow, the poor indigenous woman who came by that morning could still see the miracle. She helped me to do the same.

–– Robert Short, Executive Coordinator of Maryknoll Affiliates and former Director of Mission for Youville Assisted Living

Yoga w/ Annie Hoffman Music & Movement w/ Barbara Lyon Tai Chi / Chi Gong w/ Deborah Fortson Balance Challenge Stretch & Flex

Dark leafy greens are a rich source of vitamin C, K, E, and B, as well as iron, calcium, and fiber, which are essential for good health.

Catholic Mass Reflections w/ Maria Benoit Bible Study

November Jeopardy Trivia World Views w/ Herb Patchell Art Matters presents... New York

Celebrate Veterans Day w/ Jack Craig Harvest Fest Celebration w/ Nnorton Zieff Trio

Get fit. Stay sharp. Age well.©