It could happen any time, tornado,
earthquake, Armageddon. It could happen.
Or sunshine, love, salvation.

 

It could, you know. That’s why we wake
and look out – no guarantees
in this life.

 

But some bonuses, like morning,
like right now, like noon,
like evening.

 

 

- William Stafford

 

 

This poem resonates with me and reminds me of how important it is to appreciate and savor every day. Today Jacob and I sat on the couches in the living room with our volunteer Windy, playing alphabet games with Berta, Mylan, Kasie and Alex. We were snacking on cashews, warm and cozy in front of our little fireplace heater, laughing and applauding correct answers.

 

Aliya and Tenzin walked in after they had been to the garden and Aliya told us about the onions PDS is growing. The snack cart folks, Lisa, Ricky and Kelly were sitting in the sunshine, listening to jazz with Carrie. Adrian, Mike Mauro, Gracie, Tammy and Stella were on a walk in the neighborhood. Mike Mc D, Kayla and Victoria Diego were in the art room doing their thing. Evan was out with Sheyla and Mary cleaning up a local park. Brian and Christi were upstairs playing table tennis with Antonio. Justin, Eric and Kevin were on an adventure somewhere and Guy, Ogyen and Sean went to Sant Rosa to the mall. Ruby was working at Redboy Pizza while Alice worked next door at the salon with Janet job coaching both of them. David sat alone in the kitchen sketching. I don’t know where everyone else was, off the top of my head, but the day was moving along smoothly, and we were all relaxed and content. At 2:00 as everyone leaving, we had an impromptu dance party while playing Get Down Tonight by KC and the Sunshine Band. 

 

Today, to me, despite the political climate, wars and other global issues, everything felt right with my world. The saying "a mother is only as happy as her unhappiest child" is a quote by Nicole Helget, that I also relate to. I may not be everyone’s mother, but I do feel responsible for the day-to-day happiness off 33 clients with disabilities plus 23 staff members, and my happiness is directly correlated to theirs. Having so many other wonderful people to help carry the load of caring for this big “family” is how PDS is able to fulfill our mission: to improve the quality of life of individuals with severe disabilities, even with the inevitable hurdles and the challenges.

 

People with Disabilities Succeeding replies on the generosity of our donors to continue this important work and to be able to do what we do with the least amount of struggle.

 

Last night was our holiday staff meeting and we gave bonuses and gifts to our hardworking staff, showing our gratitude with a holiday celebration. We also hosted a Thanksgiving lunch last month, for the entire organization, with the expectation that charitable contributions would cover the costs of these extra special activities. Furthermore, GGRC does not include the cost of The Friend Zone rent in our rate of reimbursement.  Very few people have had time to donate yet, which is completely understandable, as the holiday season and Giving Tuesday sneaked up on us so quickly. To those of you who already contributed, you will receive an official thank you letter soon. 

 

To those of you who are still planning to contribute, here is the link to donate to PDS through PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=DEFHZ3D9M7DDE

 

You can also send checks to:

 

People with Disabilities Succeeding

1512 5th Avenue

San Rafael CA 94901

 

We will send you a receipt for this tax-deductible contribution.  Our federal tax ID is 81-1768753 

 

With sincere appreciation for your support,

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