I suppose that it’s this time of year that can’t help but make me reflective about all the things to be thankful for. But as they say, feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. So, here’s my brief reflection on some of the many incalculable gifts that have been bestowed to help me get on my feet here at the IPPF. Janet, of course, has been an unending well of patient tutoring on the ins and outs of diagnoses, medications, side effects and patient challenges. Will has (repeatedly) explained to me PHP, HTML, Joomla, and made me even more grateful that he deals with all “that”. Thanks, team!
In September, Dave Sirois, the president of our Board of Directors, hosted the board and me at a leadership development retreat (Retreat to Advance, page 9). There we worked on a new statement of our vision for the IPPF, “{quotes}The IPPF is the pre-eminent global organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of all people diagnosed with, or affected by, pemphigus or pemphigoid.{/quotes}It is a bold and expansive vision challenging us to reach every person who could be assisted by the services we offer. I am grateful also to the Board for stepping forward to commit to a 100% giving program, challenging themselves to each give at a level that demonstrates the importance of this work in the context of their own circumstances. Thanks be to the Board, who give so generously of their energies and resources.
So many people from your community have also contributed significantly, and I don’t just mean financially. Kathy, in Los Angeles, has worked extensively to get donations for auction at the Annual Meeting in 2009. Items include tickets to Disneyland, the Queen Mary, and many lovely high-end restaurants. Many individuals from the community have donated a wealth of incredibly beautiful handmade gifts as well. It has been such a joy to watch them arrive in our offices and to have the opportunity to celebrate the amazing talents that live within each of you. Alan, in Boston, put himself up as the “guinea pig” for dermatology grand rounds, and educated 15 new, young, up-and-coming doctors on what pemphigus looks like, and the challenges of its treatment. Chuck, in San Diego requested that his family and friends donate to the IPPF when he lost his wife Karla, 38, earlier this year. There are hundreds of more stories of people sending in testimonials, making presentations to doctors, and offering their advice and expertise in improving the website. Thank you ALL for supporting me in working to strengthen our community, in every way!
As Dr. Terry offers in her article (Psychology of Giving), a generous heart and a spirit of gratitude build a strong foundation that allows each of us to move forward. The IPPF relies on you in the same way that you have often relied on us. Thank you for everything you have done to make me become, through this organization, a fuller, more complete, and more compassionate person. I will not forget as I express gratitude, that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live them.
