“This world is just a little place
just the red in the sky, before
the sun rises, so let us keep
fast hold of hands, that
when the birds begin,
none of us be missing.”
Emily Dickinson
You may have heard about the recent extraordinary gifts made by MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s CEO. Over the last four months, she’s given $4.15 billion dollars to 384 organizations in all 50 states. To Scott’s credit, she’s focused on communities facing food insecurity, a high measure of racial inequity, high local poverty rates and low access to philanthropic capital.
Three organizations right here in Maine have benefitted from Ms. Scott’s generosity: Coastal Enterprise Institute here in Brunswick, Good Shepherd Food Bank and Goodwill Northern New England.
She’s made transformative gifts to several historically black colleges and universities, including Howard University ($40 million) and Bowie State University ($25 million), among others.
Three cheers for MacKenzie Scott! Talk about making a difference, especially for the underserved and marginalized in our nation. What a way to convey the message that we’re all the keepers of our brothers and sisters, What a model of leadership for other wealthy citizens and, in truth, for all of us.
You may not have heard about a local story of generosity which, while less newsworthy, is no less inspirational. A woman was standing in line at the Brunswick Post Office in front of another woman who was speaking Spanish to her two small children. The woman with the children was carrying several packets of cookies wrapped in cellophane. When it was her turn to be served, the woman presented the cookies to the person behind the counter, saying, “These are for all of you.”
Three cheers for this kind woman who took the time to thank some of the “essential workers” who interact with the public on a daily basis, a thankless job these days given their increased exposure to the virus and the impatience of certain people.
My good wife Tina does her part to spread some light during these dark times. Every single time she goes to Hannaford in Brunswick she thanks the person behind the checkout counter saying, “You’re all doing a great job!” They always express gratitude for these kind words; indeed, they’re often surprised as most people just want to get in and get out as fast as possible.
On the local front, I think about the wonderful institutions that demonstrate kindness every day: The Gathering Place, the MidCoast Hunger Prevention, the Oasis Free Clinic, and Harpswell Aging at Home, just to name a few. I’m so gratified that such organizations exist and that so many good people feel called to support them.
On a personal note, I think about my mother Sally (“Moo” to us kids) who was forever “adopting” this “little old lady” (her words) or that young person with a handicap. She once adopted a whole Hmong family who’d moved to Syracuse — raising funds to support them, finding tutors and on and on.
As we say goodby and good riddance to 2020, a challenging year on so many fronts, let’s hold up kindness as the overriding theme for 2021. Give the extra smile. Make the extra phone call. Hold the extra hand. Let none of us be missing.
David Treadwell, a Brunswick writer, welcomes commentary and suggestions for future “Just a Little Old” columns. dtreadw575@aol.com
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