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R&B: A Personal Reflection of Gratitude 🧡

Updated: Oct 6


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Gratitude is on my mind.


This September, my father was admitted to the VA hospital in Florida for dementia amidst not one, but two, hurricanes. Meanwhile, at CBI we were busy navigating a number of organizational changes, juggling programs, and holding down the fort for one team member who was out on paternity leave while readying another team member for maternity leave. Needless to say, I had a lot on my plate, and down in Florida -- after hospitals were shut down and neighborhoods evacuated -- everything became an ordeal from arranging safe transportation to scheduling evaluations and treatments.


Direct care providers became my lifeline and the way I could show up for my family from a distance. As a resident of New England, I became increasingly dependent on team members in Florida who answered my calls and emails and helped me manage his care as his health proxy.


For this reason, in October, when CBI had the privilege of presenting to the Connecticut Association for Community Action (CAFCA), at a conference convening over 100 of their direct care professionals, folks just like those caring for my Dad in Florida, I was particularly inspired to infuse the Keynote with gratitude.


  • Gratitude for their service

  • Gratitude for their chosen profession

  • Gratitude for their willingness to go the extra mile

  • Gratitude for their patience

  • Gratitude for their care


And I truly believe they could feel it, and that they knew, as much as I did, that I (and therefore we) need them. #Interconnected


At CBI we market our mindfulness keynotes as “tailored to your audience”, and the truth is we build the presentation together. There are so many applications for mindfulness that it matters who is there listening and how they are aiming to apply their practice in ways for creating ease, connection and effectiveness in the workplace and beyond.


Since I haven't been able to personally thank each and every direct care provider who has held my hand from afar between New England and Florida, it was particularly meaningful to express gratitude on this particular day to those in the field, and to share the gift of mindfulness.


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IMPORTANT NOTICE: Since 2012, Copper Beech Institute has offered space for reflection, connection, and transformation through mindfulness practice. In 2022, we deepened our compassionate action, dedicating ourselves more specifically to healing racial injustice and creating a greater sense of belonging for people of color in our programming.

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In 2025, due to funding challenges, we reached a point of completion—the sunset of our organization. While Copper Beech is closing, the work of racial justice and mindfulness continues. This moment brings many emotions, yet it also offers us the opportunity to honor all that has been, and to close this chapter with the same love and intention with which it began while applying our efforts beyond the bounds of the institute.

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We invite you to visit our blog to witness the impact of our last two years and beyond, and to explore our website as a reflection of all we offered. Final programming for Copper Beech Institute ceased in June 2025, and the office officially closed as of October 2025.

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