Harbor Pilots: Caring for one another in small yet profound ways.

Good morning, Cadre. Good morning. Good morning. I thought I'd start today's Cadre session by asking, what's your favorite Christmas movie? I've seen that question on Facebook and different platforms. Mine is, well, are we allowed to have two? So my all time classic favorite is It's a Wonderful Life with Jimmy Stewart. Hi, Steph. And my second favorite and most recent favorite is one I saw in the theater recently and it's titled the Best Christmas Pageant Ever. And it came to TV years ago with Loretta Swit as one of the stars.

Do you have a favorite Christmas movie? And could you post it in the comments? Because it's blustery and snowy and windy. Today it's 30 degrees in Erie, Pennsylvania, where I live. And we're getting lake effect snow from Lake Erie. Yay. And, oh yes, 30 degrees Fahrenheit. And the weatherman says the windchill makes it feel like minus 5. So needless to say, my dog, little Gracie, my corgi, all 21 pounds of her, carried herself out for her morning ritual and was very quick about returning. Yes, Steph, good morning.

And hi, Jules. Steph, It's a Wonderful Life is so great. Anybody else want to list their favorite Christmas movie? It doesn't even have to be a Christmas theme. Maybe it's just a tradition that you enjoy at this time of year. Yeah, get to the root, Rachel. I'm trying to stay warm. I tell you what, that windchill is nothing to sneeze at. And I wear my Cadre hat, my knit cap, because it's super warm with my warmest winter coat and my gloves. My name is Kathy Joy. My Cadre handle is Speak Wonder. And I love hopping on here to converse with you in the Cadre on Thursday, caregiver day.

So do you remember Miracle on the Hudson with the guy who was the pilot named Sully? When he landed the plane in the Hudson river and he basically eyeballed it, he did not use his fancy knobs and whistles in the cockpit because they were failing him. Technology was not serving him in that moment. He was losing altitude fast and he wanted to save every soul on board. And he did. And it's been documented, it's been made into a movie with Tom Hanks. It was very much in the news for quite a while because it truly was a miracle that that pilot with his skill set and his calm nerves was able to land that plane.

And the belly of the plane was floating in the Hudson. And water taxis and ambulances, water personnel, first responders came out and got everybody. And everybody was rescued, including the pilot. And it was called and is known as Miracle on the Hudson. So I have a story and I'm calling it the Other Miracle on the Hudson. It's a story written by Elizabeth Gilbert and it came to my awareness recently. And I'm going to read it to you. Jules says the Grinch. That's a great Christmas movie. So much fun.

Who likes Elf? That's a good one. Get to the root. Hey, Rachel. Making cookies, drinking hot chocolate. What a fabulous thing to be doing today. I might get on that. I don't know if I told you guys, I told somebody. I feel like it was my Cadre fam that I discovered my sugar cookies that I buy at the grocery store. I never should have read the label because it's opened up a whole new world of taste for me. And it says on the package, maybe eaten raw or. Or baked. That's terrible for me to know you can eat sugar cookie raw.

It's delightful. Here we go. The second Miracle on the Hudson. Before I read this, I want to just say that JC Lippel hopped on here this morning and he talked about holding space for someone. And in the context he was using, it was about holding space for strangers. He said, maybe at the grocery store. I think he referenced if somebody can't reach the top shelf and you kindly offer to help out. One of mine recently is throwing. Throwing money in the kettle of the Salvation army bell ringer. I did that yesterday, had a short conversation with the bell ringer, offered to bring her hot chocolate and she said, no, no, thank you.

But that's a cool thing you could do is offer to bring a warm drink to a bell ringer and then even better, bring a second warm drink for yourself and stand there and help greet people as they come in and put money in the kettle. C. was talking about holding space for strangers and that we can do small acts of kindness. We don't have to know their name, we don't have to have an ongoing relationship and we don't have to be a social media influencer. We just have to have a kind heart. And that's why I thought this story today.

Caregiver Day is perfect for you to hear and I hope you like it, by Elizabeth Gilbert. I'm going to read her story just as it comes off the page. Some years ago, I was stuck on a crosstown bus in New York City during rush hour. Traffic was barely moving. The bus was filled with cold, tired people who were deeply irritated with one another. With the world itself. Two men barked at each other about a shove that might or might not have been intentional. A pregnant woman got on, and nobody offered her a seat.

Rage was in the air. No mercy would be found here. But as the bus approached 7th Avenue, the driver got on the intercom. Folks, he said, I know you've had a rough day and you are frustrated. I can't do anything about the weather or traffic, but here is what I can do. As each of you gets off the bus, I will reach out my hand to you. And as you walk by, drop your troubles in the palm of my hand. Okay? Don't take your problems home to your families tonight. Just leave them with me. My route goes right by the Hudson river, and when I drive by there later, I will open the window and throw your troubles in the water.

It was as if a spell had lifted. Everyone burst out laughing. Faces gleamed with surprised delight. People who'd been pretending for the past hour not to notice each other's existence were suddenly grinning at each other, like, is this guy serious? Oh, he was serious. At the next stop, just as promised, the driver reached out his hand, palm up, and waited. One by one, all the exiting commuters placed their hand just above his hand and mimed the gesture of dropping something into his palm. Some people laughed as they did this.

Some teared up, but everyone did it. The driver repeated the same lovely ritual at the next stop. And the next one, too. All the way to the river. All the way to the river. We live in a hard world, my friends. Sometimes it is extra difficult to be a human being. Sometimes you have a bad day. Sometimes you have a bad day that lasts for several years. You struggle and fail. You lose jobs, money, friends and love. Your witness. You witness horrible events unfolding in the news, and you become fearful and withdrawn.

There are times when everything seems cloaked in darkness. You long for the light, but you don't know where to find it. But what if you are the light? What if you are the very agent of illumination that a dark situation is begging for? That's what this bus driver taught me, that anyone can be the light at any moment. This guy wasn't some big power player. He wasn't a spiritual leader. He wasn't some media savvy influencer. He was a bus driver, one of society's most invisible workers. But he possessed a real power, and he used it beautifully for the benefit of all those passengers.

When life feels especially grim, or when I feel particularly powerless in the face of the world's troubles, I think of this man and ask myself, what can I do right now to be the light? Of course, I can't personally end all wars or control the weather or transform vexing people into entirely different human beings. And I certainly can't control the traffic. But I do have some influence on everyone I brush up against. Even if we never speak, even if we never learn each other's names, no matter who you are or where you are or how mundane or tough your situation may seem, I do believe you can illuminate your world.

In fact, I believe this is the only way the world will ever be illuminated. One bright act of grace at a time. All the way to the river. Thanks, Rachel. You're the light, too. We are the light. We are the ones illuminating tight, scary rooms or dark, unknown places or murky futures. Let's bring our torch. Let's bring our light. Let's be the light and even for a shadow of less than a minute, illuminate somebody's day with kindness, with mercy, and with a bright act of grace. Here's the palm of my hand and here we are pouring our troubles in there so that I can take it to the river, drop it in the water and let it float away.

It's great to have you for company today. Stay warm, stay blessed, and if it's absolutely necessary, eat the sugar cookie dough raw. Blessings.