Beebe’s lawn blooms with signs of gratitude
On the morning of April 14, as I drove up to Beebe Healthcare’s Margaret H. Rollins Lewes Campus, I noticed that yard signs thanking Beebe Healthcare workers had been magically installed on the hospital’s front lawn. How wonderful!
I reached out to my colleagues at Beebe Medical Foundation, and Diane Barlow connected me with the families involved in this incredible expression of gratitude. Below are comments from some of them:
Dr. Krista Griffin said, “The idea came up as we were discussing ways to show gratitude to our community. During times of social distancing we felt it was difficult, if not impossible, to express our heartfelt thanks to all of those working on the front lines. Knowing that a ‘thank you’ goes a long way, we decided to find a way to say it while still abiding by the social distancing recommendations. We emailed a few friends.
“The night we placed 30 signs around downtown Lewes we received the unexpected gift of joy. Although we were dressed in black and went out after dark, someone got wind of our mission, and a group of Beebe Healthcare workers stood at the front door of the hospital, all in PPEs, cheering for us as we decorated the lawn with Signs of Gratitude. What an unexpected boomerang of gratitude; they were thanking us for thanking them. We were so humbled by the gift of joy we received. Gratitude is contagious! Pass it on.”
Heidi Lowe said, “It was a small gesture that we thought could lift the heart of someone working hard on the front lines. We wanted it to be a personal expression coming directly from the community to those taking care of us. I have always used art to spread a message and comfort myself. These signs became another way to ground into the positive facets of this very strange time. The Signs of Gratitude spread further than the immediate area. I had a few friends who saw the effort on social media and they created a version in their communities in South Carolina and Florida. It was great to watch it spread.”
Rita Karapurkar Williams said, “Krista and Heidi had reached out to many people in the community inviting us to take part. My family had fun using our creative expression to share messages of gratitude with all those on the front lines and all the people behind the scenes keeping things going. It is something we always feel, but do not say as often as we should! It takes a village, and we are so grateful for ours!”
As a community-based, not-for-profit healthcare system, Beebe Healthcare depends on the generous support of individuals, local businesses, corporations and private foundations. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Beebe is accepting donations of funds and other items. Please consider supporting Beebe team members during this crisis. To donate to the COVID-19 Relief Fund, go to www.beebehealthcare.org/covid19-relief, or call Beebe Medical Foundation at 302-644-2900.
