The View from Here

As we journey through the final weeks of the year, I often find myself feeling nostalgic. There’s something about the feel of a cool, still morning, the smells of favorite recipes wafting from the kitchen, my Spotify playing the original 1962 Harry Simeone Chorale recording of ‘Do You Hear What I Hear’ that my parents played on their 8-track hi-fi in 1980-something, hanging each of my kids’ “my first Christmas” ornaments, and all the warmth the holidays radiate. These sensory experiences enkindle nostalgic memories as thick as a bowl of chili soup, accompanied by a gooey cinnamon roll.

Nostalgia is an interesting emotion. It can be both joyful and sorrowful. It can look backwards and forwards at the same time. We may feel happy for fond childhood memories and mournful for days gone by. We may remember good and simple joys from our past and experience longing for them in the future. In indie folk singer/songwriter Gregory Alan Isakov’s Stable Song, he uses the lyric, “I ached for my heart like some tin man,” which takes on a whole other dimension for us folks here in Kansas. Even Clark W. Griswold sheds a tear as he watches 8mm home movies in the attic in the holiday film classic, Christmas Vacation.

For each of us the things that trigger a nostalgic wave are different. If you are feeling a little nostalgic, like I am, this time of year, it’s because you have experienced the love of people close to you or perhaps completely unknown to you. I want to thank you for the past and future care and generosity you share that makes more of these moments possible for our patients, visitors, and our Associates. On behalf of the leadership and staff of the HaysMed Foundation, I wish each of you to be surrounded with love and warm memories.