Earlier this month, while my family was having dinner together, my daughter asked me what my Rose, Thorn, and Bud were for the day.
At first, I wasn’t quite sure what she meant, because I hadn’t participated in this particular exercise before. But then she explained that a Rose is something that brings you joy, a Thorn is something that’s unpleasant or difficult to deal with, and a Bud is something you’re looking forward to.
It got me thinking about how I’d apply the same question to 2021.
When I think about my Rose for the year, the thing that keeps popping up on my list is how grateful I am that I’ve gotten to work with people whose company I really enjoy – and who allow ALAN to do so much good in the world. That list of people includes all of you!
And when I contemplate my Thorns, disasters like Hurricane Ida, the Tennessee floods and the recent tornadoes certainly come to mind (and let’s not forget the ongoing challenges associated with COVID-19). Plus some of us had some more painful times than others, including quite a few illnesses and deaths in our families. Yet even during those Thorny times, there were so many wonderful organizations and individuals who showed up to provide extraordinary compassion and care. (For a list of some of those people, be sure to check ALAN’s list of 2021 completed cases. And if you have a chance, send a quick thank you to those who made it possible.)
Which brings me to my Bud. As we close out 2021, I’m truly looking forward to continuing to work with ALAN – and to seeing the extraordinary ways our industry will continue to step up to provide help, hope and happiness to those who need it most.
On behalf of all of us at ALAN, we wish all of you a warm and wonderful Christmas – and a new year that’s full of peace, love, joy and plenty of Roses.
