By Mary Jo Viero
BAPA Executive Director
Today I am trying to sum up another incredible year in a few paragraphs. It’s tough because the number of things I can think of will take a lot more than a few paragraphs. I‘ll give you the short version.
In November I attended the Veterans’ Mass at St. Barnabas Church. I was so moved by the words of Matt Lunkes, a USMC veteran who spoke at the end of mass, I must tell you about it.
He compared the values of the armed forces to the values in our community. It was not only a brilliant speech, but it was spot on! He referred to the words, commitment, integrity, service, and humility and then gave examples of how our community (like the military) lives those values every day.
He spoke about how we support each other no matter what the circumstance. When a basement floods, a child needs a ride, or someone is sick, a neighbor or neighbors will step up to help. No questions asked, no thank yous required, because we all know it would come back to us if the need arose.
That is why we have pride in where we live. We are a community bound by the commitment to serving others and doing it with humility. One other parallel that Matt Lunkes mentioned was the fact that, just like the military, we are not perfect, but we own our flaws and strive to do better.
As I walked home from the mass, I was filled with gratitude – AGAIN.
I hope you had as much fun in 2022 as I did. Thanks to BAPA’s events, I was able to meet many new neighbors and experience gorgeous homes, gardens, and music all over the neighborhood. I’ve already started planning some new things for next year. The most important thing I will do is continue BAPA’s commitment to serving our neighbors and bringing out the best in our community.
I also want to thank our BAPA members, whose names you will see listed on page 5*. We simply cannot do what we do without your support.
After doing your holiday shopping and dining in the neighborhood, you may want to relax and enjoy the piece of inspiration below. I hope you like it,
Holiday Gift Suggestions
By Oren Arnold
To your enemy, forgiveness
To an opponent, tolerance.
To a friend, your heart.
To a customer, service.
To all, charity.
To a child, a good example.
To yourself, respect.
Cheers and Happy Holidays to All!
Mary Jo
*The people and businesses whose names appear in this issue of The Villager became members between Jan. 1 and Nov. 11, 2022. Everyone who joins or donates to BAPA for 2022 will be recognized in the Feb. 2023 Villager. Join today at bapa.org.
