It’s Veterans Day and I’d like to first take this opportunity to thank all of the men and women who are currently serving our country and who have served our country in the past. I wish i could say more than “thank you” for all that you do and have done….i’ve been honored in the past to work with both the Warriors Foundation and the United Service Organizations (USO) to raise funds to support your efforts, but nothing compares to what you do … day in and day out! THANK YOU!

In honor of Veterans Day, i bring you a photograph that i recently saw that touched me. I was at the United Hebrew Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in New Rochelle, NY a few weeks ago to see where they had installed some of my artwork. Rita Mabli, the facility’s President gave me a tour and we ended in a beautiful atrium where Rita explained they had recently held an art reception and juried contest titled “Beautiful Aging.” And outside the atrium, in the lobby, hung the photograph taken by Kim Johnson shown below. It had been part of the exhibition and the Center decided to permanently hang it in their lobby.

What a beautiful photograph…there are so many ways you can interpret it, but it’s a wonderful juxtaposition of images…young and old….The Center describes it this way: “This photograph captures the United Hebrew tagline The Art of Caring for Generations so well. It is a testament to our remarkable ability to create a loving and nurturing community both on our campus and outside of our campus walls. Our excellence in caregiving is an art we have refined over the course of generations – one which we look forward to continuing for generations to come.”

I have been wanting to post this photograph and thank Kim for weeks now…since I saw it. But i thought that Veterans Day would be an appropriate time because this day is also about generations….generations of protectors. This photograph conveys protection…the elderly, with their experience and strength, are the backbone of society…they protect the young. They teach the young. They care for the young. All of this feeling is present in this photograph.

So, as you go about your business today…thank your elders….both military and non-military. Thank them for their protection.

Kim, thank you for your thoughtful photograph. You can visit Kim’s website at Aremac Gallery if you’d like to see more of her work. You can also reach the United Hebrew Nursing and Rehabilitation Center through their website or by calling 914-632-2804 x1224.

Enjoy,

–Charles