Thanksgiving To Me

With all the incredible wishes for a happy holiday from family and friends it seems impossible to not take a moment and reflect on this past year and that around this time last year we were deeply effected in Staten Island by Hurricane Sandy and the losses it brought in misery, property and life. This is a happy moment for many of us in this country who are enjoying freedom and bounty while others may not have it so good. I remember last year when we went around the neighborhood inviting people(who lost everthing and were huddled under blankets in the cold) to share Thanksgiving with us. They were from so many different ethnic backgrounds and languages that we had to enlist interpreters for such languages as Russian, Chinese, Turkish, Spanish and a few more. My wife, kids, friends, family and so many volunteers came to Goodfella's to help and they brought so much food and good cheer in the genuine spirit of true help that when my 9 year old daughter feel asleep on a chair after serving food all day and told me it was the best thanksgiving ever, tough as I'd like to think I am, I almost broke down and am still moved by it today. The people were hesitant at first  when we knocked on their doors and one woman said to me " I have lost everything, I have no pride so I will come and I thank you". Many others required alot of pleading and insisting(being proud working people) but we had formed  a relationship with them from being there everyday for  weeks providing food and supplies, so they came even though they felt awkward and shy. They understood we cared and just wanted to share and when I tod them I do this because I'd expect the same if it the shoe was on the other foot, they smiled and felt relief because they knew deep down that everyone of them  would help me if they could. We had vans and cars to pick them up because all the cars were destroyed. Once they got there and began getting served from friendly faces, the kids started laughing and eating and the parents felt at ease and let a few tears go because they had a hot meal for the family on this important day and were out of the cold. Some one said to me during the relief that "you can't help everybody" and that may be true but it meant something to the people we did help and I thank God today for allowing me to help. I am thankful for being part of a society that cares, for having friends that care, for having a family that cares and for having a wife who cares. Thank all of you that volunteered your help, it was appreciated, I promise you, so are each and every one of you. Marc Cosentino