Thanksgiving is a time to be grateful for more than the turkey and fixings that adorn our tables and later find themselves listlessly pushed to the back of our refrigerators. It’s a time to be grateful for all the little things that shape our everyday lives.
This year, possibly more than any other in recent years, I am grateful beyond words. Just a year ago, I was unemployed and floating – unsure of where life and God would lead me next. While I never worried much about how I’d eat or where the next hug or word of support would come from, I spent my days silently wondering how my God-given gifts and strengths would be used in my next career position.
For months after being laid off, that’s all I wondered. Enter Resurrection Catholic Missions of the South, Inc. – or as it’s lovingly known, Resurrection.
During those months of uncertainty and wonder, Resurrection gave me purpose and a place to belong. Before joining the Mission in its 75th year, I spent my days sharing ideas, meeting with staff, and offering insight – all in hopes of driving the Mission and its programs forward; not for page views, likes, shares, or reader buy in. As the weeks and months progressed, it felt so good to see my coworkers’ eyes light up during brainstorms or to receive an earnest and heartfelt “I’m glad you’re here” coupled with a smile.
Nearly a year later, as the Missions’ Director of Communications & Engagement, I’m grateful for Resurrection and for all the little things that make up the major moments of the past eight months.
For all the parishioners and friends of Resurrection who welcomed me with open arms, I am grateful. For each of the compliments, website views, social media follows, suggestions, and critiques, I am grateful. For the Resurrection Eagles who often greet me with infectious smiles, high fives, and the funniest questions, I am grateful. For my family of coworkers that allows me to be as optimistic, creative, opinionated, and bad at math as I can be without judgment, I am grateful. For those who selflessly give their time, money, and prayers in support of Resurrection even when they don’t have them to give, I am grateful. For Sister Rita and Mary Gaines, whose short time in my life taught me how impactful it can be to work and serve in faith, I am grateful. For the collegians whose dedication to service and making the world a better place inspires me, I am grateful. For all the special and unforgettable figures I’ve been honored to meet whose lives offer such invaluable lessons rooted in perseverance and persistence, I am grateful. For the supporters who believe in our tireless, daily efforts to improve the world around us, I am grateful. For the workplace successes and growth that have made me proud and the stumbles and shortfalls that have tested my mettle, I am grateful. For the belly laughs, the frustrations, the challenges, the goals for the future, and even for the tears, I am grateful. Every day hasn’t been easy, but I am grateful for every second.
As you prepare to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday with those most meaningful to you – whether around the dining table, at the football game, out shopping, or in God’s solitude – I hope you’ll take just a moment to think about the little things you’re grateful for that make each day worthwhile.
For family. For faith. For health. For love. For life. For every little thing.
And, yes, hopefully for Resurrection. Because if you’ve read this far, your support – whether you believe it or not – has made all the difference in my life and in the lives of countless others who have hoped, worked, worshipped, learned, eaten, believed, and lived another day because of Resurrection.
This Thanksgiving, for you, I am grateful.
In Gratitude,
Brandon R. Vaughn