Mayor Farmer and wife Cheryl
In an address Tuesday, Benton Mayor Tom Farmer sent a message of gratitude to citizens, and said our local hospital has what they need.
Good morning Benton,
First, as we continue moving through and getting closer to the end of the pandemic, I want to say thank you so much to each of you for what you are doing to protect each other through, not only your physical actions of social distancing, but also for encouraging each other through these times. As we have all seen on TV, together we will get through this and will be better off when it is all over. It has truly amazed me, not only how our community is working together to make things better for all, but how we see this all over our great nation. We hear stories and see actions of people working together to get through this all over the world. I am so thankful for the way we are all pulling together to win the war against the virus.
I want to say thank you to Saline Memorial Hospital for taking all the first steps in doing everything they could to prepare for what we are facing. I spoke to [Saline Health System CEO] Michael Stewart yesterday and asked him if there was anything they needed and he reported that they have everything they need to meet the needs of our community. Thank you for your preparedness!
As I think about the word gratitude and the true affect it has on people, I want to share what a few people have said about gratitude.
- “The way to develop the best that is in a person is by appreciation and encouragement.” Charles Schwab
- “At times, our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.” Albert Schweitzer
- “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” Oprah Winfrey
- “You cannot do a kindness too soon because you never know how soon it will be too late.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
- “It is impossible to feel grateful and depressed in the same moment.” Naomi Williams
- “In ordinary life, we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer
- “Gratitude and attitude are not challenges; they are choices.” Robert Braathe
In saying all of this, I want to thank all the people out there that we normally take for granted by being the heroes they are during these days. They continue to provide daily services to us by showing up and doing what they have always done for us, thank you.
To name a few:
•Police for providing all of us protection and continuing to be there for us
•The Fire Department for continuing to respond to all call-ins and giving us security during these times
•Teachers who normally have our children 180 days out of the year but continue to education our students by new means
•Nursery workers that take care of our young children
•Utility workers for showing up and providing us with the things we use everyday, and continuing to provide these quality of life items for us; electricity, clean water, and sewer services, thank you
•Our sanitation workers who pick up and dispose of our trash
•Medical personnel who go to work everyday not knowing what they are going to see or face, without thinking about what it might cost them personally, as well as their families
•Grocery store workers who continue to fill the shelves in the stores and continue to modify the way they do business, and provide social distancing for us by simple things such as making aisles one way and offering pick-up services
•Custodians who are working in each of our areas to keep things sanitized
•Those workers that carry items out to our vehicles when we pull up, no matter if it is our grocery stores, favorite restaurant, etc.
•Convenience store workers who are there day in and day out providing us a service of things that we need and want
•Pharmacy workers who continue to supply us with medication we need and other supplies
•People that are out there building and constructing things because they know that our future is bright
I know this is just a small list and that each of you can add to it . What I am asking is that as a community we all reach out to these people, let them know that we are truly grateful for them. I am grateful to live in a community that understands that a grateful way of life is a way to notice all that are already present in our life on a daily basis from the smallest gesture of a smile, wave of the hand, or maybe just an acknowledgment to the most significant thing that we have experienced, like a medical person risking their own life by treating us during our time of need. I truly believe that as we continue to monitor what is going on in our nation we can acknowledge that life is a gift, and that even in the most challenging times living a grateful life makes us aware of the opportunities and services that have always been available to and for us, and allows us to truly say thank you.
You truly are the most amazing community and I thank you for this. Now I am asking you to continue the fight with this virus by not only following the CDC recommendations for the next 30 days, but to also make a difference in someone’s life by saying thank you for what they are doing.
Mayor Tom