By Muriel J. Smith
With fear racing through the nation in the wake of the horrific attacks in Paris on Friday the 13th, with families still not in their homes three years after Super Storm Sandy raged through Monmouth County, and with so much illness, poverty, broken families and civil problems always on the horizon, it is truly a healthy respite to stop and think about the positive side of life, the time to count blessings and thank the Creator, our family, our nation founded in freedom or whoever has done even a little something to make each individual life a little better, a little more comfortable, a little more pleasant.
We’ve done it before, come through the sad times with a day set aside to offer thanks for the good times. Whatever the story of the first thanksgiving, whether it was a friendly repast between English explorers and Pawtuxet Indians, or a formal meeting between natives and invading Europeans to decide on land issues, it set the tone for gratification and togetherness. Abraham Lincoln declared it a national holiday during the Civil War; families were rationed on food supplies during World Wars I and II, and our soldiers celebrated the holiday in frozen foxholes in Korea during the Korean War. Families were separated not only during all the wars in the Middle East in the 20th century but also in peacetime when distance separates the sailor, Marine and soldier from his or her home.
But we can always sit down and list the things for which we are grateful.
For Monica Urena of Red Bank, as for so many others, it’s family that first comes to mind when offering thanks. An employee at the Oyster Point in Red Bank, Urena is especially appreciative that her family is always so supportive of everything she does, the goals she sets, the accomplishments she achieves. It makes the successes so much more special, she said, and for that, she is truly thankful.
For Ana Rogus of Red Bank, she can narrow her appreciation of family down to what she terms her greatest gift of all, her daughter, a daughter who brings joy, happiness and smiles to her face every day. In addition, Rogus is appreciative that she is healthy and able to enjoy so much in life, so much in the area in which she lives.
That’s the way Dagny Fiore of Atlantic Highlands feels. A registered nurse at Care One Care Center in Middletown, Fiore moved to the Two River area from Ocean County 20 years ago, earned her degree in nursing at Monmouth University, and still appreciates the natural beauty and number of recreational and spiritual assets it offers. Being so close to the ocean, being able to enjoy solitude walks on the beach in winter, or feel the warm sand beneath bare toes in the summer are gifts everyone in Monmouth County can enjoy, she said, and for that, she is truly grateful.
Edna Robinson Black, a resident at the nursing home where Fiore works, is the president of the residents’ network at the Route 36 facility. A lifelong resident of Sea Bright and Highlands, since her family first moved to Sandlass Beach at Sandy Hook, couldn’t agree more with Fiore that the beauty of the area is enough reason to give thanks. Black also recalls the days of walking across the Highlands Sea Bright Bridge to go to Atlantic Highlands High School with friends from Highlands, recalls later years when she loved her work in the food shack at Conners’ Pool, and while all are happy memories she cherishes, she is most grateful today for the care she receives at the care center, the friendliness and professionalism of the nurses, the congeniality of the aides, and the fact she is still living close to the water and all her fond memories.
Like Fiore and Black, Linda Bricker of Rumson is grateful for many people and many things, but particularly appreciative of the fact that “we live in such an interesting place.” President of the Monmouth County Historical association and a past president and active member of the Junior League of Monmouth County, Bricker is grateful for such organizations as the League and the Association for the work they all do in promoting and preserving the best aspects of Monmouth County. The Historical Association, she said, “helps us to preserve our history and appreciate what our ancestors have achieved for us.” World peace is at the top of Bricker’s list for dreams to achieve and be grateful for, and her family is always uppermost in her mind when it comes to being grateful.
For Charles H. Jones, II, Ed.D, and president of Jones & Associates of Red Bank, like Bricker, he puts family and home first when counting the things for which he is most grateful. But he is also so appreciative that we as a people always have something to look for ward to, hopes to achieve, and dreams to accomplish. We are kept mindful of all that, Jones said, “because we always have children around who constantly remind us just how bright and beautiful the world is.”
For Maria McKeon of Ocean Grove, the founder with Michele Gannon of Mary’s Place by the Sea, the home that serves as a refuge for women going through cancer treatment and recovery, just being alive is enough reason to be grateful. “Every day is a great day at Mary’s Place,” McKeon said, happy for her role in being able to provide a nurturing spot, nutritional counseling, spa services and so much more for women in need of outside support during what must be one of the most difficult times of their life.
