A Reminder to Reflect on and Count Our Blessings
By George Foster
Chairman of the Board
The cooler temperatures, the falling leaves, daylight savings time. All are harbingers of fall and Thanksgiving. Autumn is a reminder of change. And, life is all about change. It certainly has been so for me in 2021 and in our country.
For example, as you look through the news today it’s murder trials, censure and the supply chain bottleneck. Maybe all that supply chain bottleneck stuff isn’t such a bad thing this year. Maybe instead of focusing so much on stuff it would be a better year to focus on family and friends.
It’s been a tough two years and being thankful for those around us sounds like time better spent than running around trying to find the perfect gift. I can’t always remember what I got under the tree, but I almost always remember who I spent time with and the conversations as well as the blessings I’ve had. So, here’s a few things of which I’m thankful.
“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”
– Marcel Proust
The folks that make me most happy are my family. I’m ever thankful for them. Bonnie and Rootie have been with me throughout the 41-year ride and my kids, who are no longer kids, are successful in their own right.
Thanks to them for all the times that I was missing in action because of work and travel. Thanks for putting up with “’ol’ Dad!” They’ll appreciate the garden quote because in my vegetable garden is where I get a lot of happiness.
“No one who achieves success does so without acknowledging the help of others. The wise and confident acknowledge this help with gratitude.”– Alfred North Whitehead
In June, I sold the majority of Foster Marketing to Tiffany Harris who has worked side-by-side with me for more than 25 years. I’m so happy for her and I know she’ll build the business even bigger and better. I’m forever grateful to her.
Additionally, I owe a great deal of thanks to all the fantastic employees, clients, media friends and vendor partners we had through the years. It was a fantastic 41 years.
“At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.”– Albert Schweitzer
I’ve had numerous mentors and supporters through the years. None more so than Don DePugh, long-time sales rep at World Oil, and Richard Yeager, a longtime ad agency friend from New Jersey. Both passed away in the last month and I have attended both funerals.
Both took time to mentor and encourage me in my business and even more so personally. Don was the eternal optimist with a delightful “Hell … oh” when he answered a phone and never had bad words about anyone.
Richard, and his wife Margerite, encouraged us in our business when at times we were barely making it. Then later they introduced us to travel, wine and art. Tough losses, but I am so thankful for their friendship.
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.”– Melody Beattie
When I saw the quote above, I thought of Daryl Davis. Davis is an African American R&B and blues musician, activist, author, actor and bandleader. He is best known for his work concerning the Ku Klux Klan, having convinced a number of Klansmen to leave and denounce the KKK.
Known for his energetic style of boogie-woogie piano, Davis has played with such musicians as Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and B.B. King.
I saw Daryl perform on a recent Blues Cruise and listened to an hour presentation on his interaction with the Ku Klux Klan. He’s written two books and been featured in a New York Times article.
The thankful takeaway for me is when he asked, “How can you hate me when you don’t even know me?” So true and he added “when you’re talking, you’re not fighting.”
“If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.”– Meister Eckhart
Autumn serves as an annual reminder of change. Life is all about change and certainly I’ve had lots of change in my life this year. But amidst all of the changes that life brings, as a person of faith I’m nourished and sustained by keeping my eyes focused on God and Jesus Christ. Nothing, not even all the changes we encounter, can separate us from that love. In this way, fall leads us to the gratitude of Thanksgiving to come.
‘’Where there is discord, may we bring harmony. Where there is error, may we bring truth. Where there is doubt, may we bring faith. And where there is despair, may we bring hope.”
– St. Francis of Assisi