Embracing the Spirit of Gratitude

In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy devastated communities along the U.S. eastern seaboard, including neighborhoods in New York and New Jersey. In the storm’s aftermath, Stacy Burdett and millions more endured days with no power. As everyone affected began to assess the damage, Stacy remained calm and grateful—even as her home’s thermostat hovered around 60 degrees and her family could venture out only so far because gas was being rationed.

How so calm in the midst of chaos? For one, Stacy knew her family had weathered the storm better than many others. She also embraced the spirit of gratitude she had observed and experienced more than a year earlier when she served as a Lilly Ambassador with Connecting Hearts Abroad in Thailand.

“The people we met in Thailand possess a phenomenal spirit and energy, even though they don’t have much. For them, connecting with people is more important than material things. It’s that spirit I have kept with me.”

Read more about how Stacy expanded her service back at home.