Where do thoughts wander?

By From the Heart | Community Contributors

Jan 12

Again as this blog begins, I preface my words with the caveat that at my age as an octogenarian, thought wanders where it will. What I’ll think of and the outcome, if any, of those thoughts are revelatory.

December 2021 was a month of “giving” thoughts. A community service organization I belong to is always a top choice for me when it comes to advancing an idea of how to meet a need so I had some success convincing my friends that collecting socks, mittens, caps and food were all worthy areas for donating. One person giving one pair of socks is good; many people giving dozens of socks is much better. Every person can give what they can manage to meet the need and know collective success.

Since I’ve lived alone these past 10 years I believe I have some empathy for others who live a solitary life, too. There are stretches of time when the phone does not ring, the mail is only for an occupant, no visitors come to the door and the car does not leave the garage. And as happens, my thoughts wandered to people who live in senior apartments, assisted living homes or just alone in their own place and how they were doing this holiday season. The idea came to me to buy small boxes of chocolates as a gift for a person to brighten their day. So I found some sweet little boxes with just three lovely chocolates in each for a nominal sum, purchased 50 of them and proceeded to bring around some holiday cheer to folks.

I found a small assisted living home in Avon, a cozy. senior-only apartment building in Becker and a gathering of folks at a senior center to give the chocolate boxes to. Happy Christmas to them!

Now the Christmas season is past and my thoughts will turn to how I can prepare for Lent. I will again be using “The Little Black Book” beginning in February as my guide to thinking about the next great event, Easter. I find this book is a good guide to keeping my thoughts on a path that is focused on less worldly things.

Kathy Hanson is mostly retired if you don’t count volunteering as work. She enjoys learning new things and having unique experiences. With decades of raising a family with her husband who is deceased, working at a corporate career and serving as a worker/leader in community service and non-profit organizations, active is an appropriate definition of her lifestyle. Woven throughout that life a love of reading has been a constant thread. Kathy seeks to share some of the insights reading has given her in her blogging contributions.

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