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The Column - November 19, 2020THANKSGIVING The Credit Union will be closed Thursday and Friday, November 26th, and November 27th. Monday the 30th will end up being one of our busiest days of the year. Please take time to plan your financial needs accordingly. TIPS FOR NAVIGATING INSURANCE OPEN ENROLLMENT Open Enrollment runs from Sunday, November 1 through Tuesday, December 15, 2020. Coverage begins January 1, 2021. If you do not enroll in a plan by December 15, you cannot get 2021 coverage unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period. Below are some things to consider courtesy of dukehealth.org. To find out more visit: www.healthcare.gov. • Know Your Needs THE OUTSIDE DOESN’T MATTER In 1892 Ellis Island opened its doors to welcome what would become millions of immigrants to the hopes and dreams that our great nation promised. Every nationality, religious belief, and cultural difference one could imagine walked through those doors. But every one of those immigrants before, during, and after, have at least two things in common. A beating heart and a dream for a better tomorrow. With the exception of our Native American ancestors, every one of us is a descendant from a wide-eyed, fearful, but hopeful, red blooded immigrant. We are all related to the same melting pot ingredients, separated only by the number of generations since our first ancestors landed in this great country. Not every hope and dream become reality, and sometimes reality can be a harsh awakening. But despite the many walls that most of our ancestors faced, they survived as evidenced by our existence today. We may individually have very little knowledge of where our heritage’s origins begin, but you can bet that our ancestors from hundreds of years ago did not look as we do today nor necessarily have the same spiritual beliefs or cultural understanding. What all our ancestors, as well as each of us today, have in common is what exists under the skin. It’s what makes us human: our heart, our blood, our intelligence, our soul. And if each of us can look beyond what is insignificant on the outside and embrace what’s common on the inside, we all are the same, we all become family, we all become one…and hope for peace is not far away. The reality is our community, our Credit Union membership, and our staff all consist of a wonderful blend of gender, ethnic, religious, and cultural differences and beliefs. These varied traits are all the result of thousands of family trees, each with their own unique and storied history and all with some element of immigrant status. It is what makes us American, it is what makes us human, and it is what makes each of us beautifully unique. Every day at the Credit Union, the interaction of all these differences is what makes each day special. We are a melting pot and cooperative with a common bond, and we are thankful for what we have and proud of who we are! The holidays are a time that we can all embrace and celebrate our heritage. Being thankful is an action. Please take time this season to not only give thanks for where you came from, but also for who surrounds you. Take time to share this appreciation with someone who is having a difficult time being thankful for where they are in life. Take 30 seconds to tell someone why they are special and what makes them beautifully unique. Reach across cultural divides and spread the message of compassion, thanksgiving, and gratefulness. These small gestures can help heal a community and, possibly, help heal a nation. WORDS OF WISDOM The mistake is thinking that there can be an antidote to the uncertainty. - David Levithan
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