January 2026

Gratitude, Purpose, and the Bonds That Sustain Us

By Richard Myers
Posted: 10/28/2025

As we move into the season of Thanksgiving, I find myself reflecting on gratitude—how it deepens our sense of purpose, strengthens our community, and shapes the way we experience each day in Pasadena Village.

Gratitude is more than a polite expression—it’s a way of seeing. It reminds us that life’s value is found not just in what we do, but in how we notice and appreciate what connects us. Psychologists and philosophers tell us that a fulfilling life often rests on three elements: gratitude, purpose, and agency. Gratitude helps us see meaning; purpose gives us direction; and agency allows us to act on both.

At Pasadena Village, gratitude comes alive in simple but profound ways—in the phone call to check in on a friend, in a shared ride to an appointment, in laughter over coffee, and in the kindness that passes quietly among members. Each of these gestures says, “We matter to one another.”

As I look around the Village, I see gratitude expressed in learning groups, volunteer efforts, neighborhood gatherings, and the ways members support one another through change and loss. These acts remind me that gratitude is not passive—it grows through engagement, curiosity, and care.

Brain research shows that when we connect new experiences to a larger sense of meaning, we learn more deeply. I think the same is true for gratitude: when we connect thankfulness to our shared purpose, it becomes lasting. As Friedrich Nietzsche wrote, “He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.” Our “why” in Pasadena Village is found in one another—in the relationships, learning, and compassion that make this community so alive.

This Thanksgiving, I’m especially grateful for each of you—for the generosity, patience, humor, and wisdom you bring to our shared life. You remind me daily that gratitude isn’t something we save for a holiday—it’s something we live, together.

May this season give you time to reflect on what and who you are thankful for, to share that gratitude freely, and to celebrate the Village that continues to give meaning and joy to our lives.

With appreciation and warm wishes,
Dick Myers
President, Pasadena Village