Grati tude by Dave Cort, Community Ambassador
As I write this final Gratitude column in Stone Soup , I do so with lots of love and happiness. On March 31st, I will fully retire as a staff member of the San Geronimo Valley Community Center after 35 extraordinary years. Today, I want to focus on my gratitude — to all of you who have supported me and my fam- ily, who have brought such meaning and joy to my life, and who have made this work far more than a job. This past January, our Executive Director, Alexa Davidson, nominated me for a Heart of Marin Lifetime Achievement Award. Eleven remarkable individu- als were nominated, and the recipient was announced at a beautiful celebration What made that moment unforgettable was not the award itself, but who was in the room: my mom, my wife Howie, my granddaughter Ada, my sister Lisa, our dear friends the McQuilkins and Hana Wimberley, my Community Center col- leagues, and hundreds of people I have worked alongside over nearly five decades in the nonprofit sector. To be surrounded by so much love and shared history was overwhelming in the best possible way. As I walked to the stage to receive the beautiful glass statue, nearly fifty years of living and working in Marin flashed before me. I thought about my first job in 1978, at 22 years old, working as a counselor at Marin County Juvenile Hall. I thought about my time at Full Circle School for Boys in Bolinas. I remembered serving on the Marin County Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Commission. I thought about being hired at the Community Center in 1991, serving as Executive Director for 32 years and then as Community Ambassador for the past three. I thought about the four decades of volunteering and collaborating with Lagunitas Community School in my children’s — and now my grandchildren’s — classrooms. I thought about the many boards I have served on and the close friendships formed along the way. And I was reminded what a “simple twist of fate” it was for Howie and me to land here in the Valley from the Midwest in July of 1978. That twist of fate gave us a home, a purpose, and a community beyond anything we could have imagined. I know many of you have similar stories — of arriving here by chance and stay- ing because of connection. I would truly love to hear them. attended by more than 600 people at the Marin Civic Center. When my name was called, I nearly fell out of my chair. As my full retirement begins on April 1st (which somehow feels fitting), I am excited for what comes next. I will be volunteering with the San Geronimo Valley Historical Society as we prepare to celebrate the 100th anniversary of this historic building, which first opened as a school in 1928 and has been home to the Community Center for the past 55 years. We hope to capture video and audio recordings of Valley residents so that future generations can hear the sto- ries that shaped this place. I will also continue volunteering in my grandchildren’s classrooms, serving on the Board of Directors of the San Geronimo Childcare Center, and supporting local organizations both financially and through hands-on involvement. Retirement from a job does not mean retirement from community. To all of you — thank you. Thank you for your trust, your partnership, your friendship, and your love. The work we have done together has been the greatest privilege of my life. Along with my retirement I will be celebrating my 70th birthday on Kauai in April. To conclude this article I want to share an article I received from BeHumanBeKind called LIFE LESSONS FROM A 70 YEAR OLD: • Don’t wait to be happy. The perfect moment will never come. Make the most of the moment. • Health is everything. You’ll only realize it when it starts to fade. Cherish and protect it now. • Time doesn’t come back. Spend it with people who make your soul feel light. • Call you parents. One day you’ll reach for the phone and wish you could. • Say “ I love you ”more. • Memories over money. No one remembers the car you drove, just the laugh- ter you shared. • Let go of grudges. You are not punishing them, you’re only hurting yourself. • Stop waiting. Start that dream, take that trip, hug that person. Life doesn’t pause. • People forget words. But they never forget how you made them feel. • You’re never too old. To love again, to start over, to change, to grow. P.S. I will see you around the Valley and Gratitude to ChatGPT for improving my writing skills! If you would like to connect with me email at davidcharlescort@ gmail.com P.P.S. With Joy: George Robert O’Neil was born on February 23, 2026 to Ariana Dukkers O’Neil and Brendan O’Neil. Proud grandparents are Skag Dukkers and Anne McClain and Proud Aunt and Uncle, Ally and Gordon Wilson and cousins Leo and Ava.
Buck Chavez’s Valley Airport Run
Rides to the Airport with complimentary song or Tarzan Yell (If needed or wanted)
- Hours: Late PM or Early AM so you won’t interfere with my life (or to be arranged) - Weekends: All times available - Co$t: Whatever. 10% of whatever goes to humans who need it more than you or me - Car: mine or yours. don’t care - Pick up or delivery - Experience: Forever - References: Lots of people you probably know - Never lost a client
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SGV Community Center Stone Soup Page 19
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