It may be a while back for some readers, but in my house, we’re deep in the throes of new fall routines. My kids are now in two different schools—two bus schedules, two buildings to “meet the teacher,” and what feels like endless extra trips everywhere. There’s chess club, wall climbing, swimming lessons, and forlorn glances at the couch where a little nap would be welcome. They say this stage passes quickly, but it doesn’t feel that way when multiple people need your attention at the same time. Between the constant feed-clothe-nurture cycle, full-time jobs, and after-school activities, the overwhelm can creep in and gratitude can fall to the wayside. But gratitude is what keeps us grounded when life feels “squeezy.”
When the world spins too fast, I like to look up at the sky and remember how small I am in the grand scheme of planets, universes, and all of history. Still, to my kids, and to a few friends and people at work, my presence matters. That reminder helps me keep moving forward with purpose. And I am grateful. Yes, I juggle work-life balance stress, but I am very fortunate to have a job. I have a happy home with healthy kids. That’s no small thing. Having grown up with a sister and father who lived with chronic health issues, I know luck when I see it.
It’s something many of the people Unison serves through the Elder Abuse Shelter, Kerby Centre Market, and Seniors Services struggle with daily. Some need safe housing after escaping abuse. Others rely on our help accessing tax refunds and pension payments so they can pay bills and avoid eviction, let alone deciding what to buy at the grocery store with limited funds, which also need to be partitioned out for medication and now, certain vaccines.
If you, like me, live with the privilege of choice and plenty, I hope you’ll join me in supporting our Giving Thanks campaign - an annual donation drive that funds programming for vulnerable seniors. It’s not about pity; it’s about recognizing our own capacity to make a difference.
So while I scramble every morning to get two sleepy kids to their bus stops, with lunches packed, homework stuffed into backpacks, feeling self-confident and aware of their own impact on the world, with clean water bottles in hand, I know they’re growing up in a home where gratitude is lived out. And part of that is paying it forward. Please visit our campaign page to learn more, and if you can give money or you can volunteer your time, we are immesurably grateful to you.
To donate, please visit unisonalberta.com/donate