Today, our act of good was beginning a fall display in front of the Mansion. It’s going to get bigger.

It sounds a bit pompous to me, but the has re-shaped my life, and I have Donald Trump to thank for it. My idea, a vision,  came to me in the middle of the night in 2016. I felt Mr. Trump was a spreader of hatred and division. I wanted to be an antidote, not a hater. Evey good deed that benefits a human bean is an antidote to hatred and division.

I wake up in the morning, even when I’m in the hospital,  and resolve to do one good deed every day.  There has never been a problem coming up with an idea, the need is great.

Since then, I’ve missed a score or two of  days, but managed to keep my promise every other day. At least one  small act of great kindness.. This is selfish, it has kept me grounded, hopeful and small.

I live in the community of love, as sappy as it sounds and as beautiful as it is.

Tania Woodward, one of the hard-working Mansion aides asked if we could give some thought to creating some kind of autumn display for passersby, the residents, and their families. Maria and I got right on it. We donated two bales of our hay and spent a couple of days scouring for squash, pumpkins, and flowers.

We’re looking for some corn stalks to add to the mix, which should not be a problem around here.

We also straightened our “Heroes Work Here” sign that Maria painted at the onset of the first pandemic wave. This felt good. It’s important that the Mansion show life, to its residents, and to the community. Each season signals life in its own way. The Mansion is not about ending one’s life. It’s about living one’s life as fully as one can for as long as one can.

It is so important to honor the passage of the seasons, rather than only mark the evolution of aging and death. We’ll be back to the Mansion with more mums and pumpkins, I hope to bring at least one new thing every day. I’m bringing two more mums today.  Hope for me isn’t about wanting something, it’s about doing something.