Letters to the Rockville Centre Herald Dec. 15, 2011

A tradition of giving

To the Editor:

  During this special time in our calendar year, with an emphasis on caring for those in need, once again the Jo Maur Hair Salon, at 326 Sunrise Highway, has prepared a generous turkey dinner with all the trimmings for a family in our community. Jo Maur’s clients contributed to this gift by bringing in pies, cakes, canned goods and extras. To make things even better, the gift will be repeated at Christmas.

  Special thanks go to Joe and Maureen Becora, the salon’s proprietors. With the late Colleen O’Reilly, one of their loyal customers, and a member of the St. Agnes Cathedral Parish Council, they started this project 15 years ago.

This tradition of giving is continued in Colleen’s memory in conjunction with the St. Agnes Cathedral Parish Outreach Program.  

Elissa and Joe Metz

Rockville Centre

Local understands true meaning of the holidays

To the Editor:

It started even earlier this year: no sooner were Halloween decorations put away than the blitz of drugstore Santas and catalogs from retailers eager to seize the first Christmas dollar began. I happen to be a big fan of Thanksgiving, so I find it a pretty sad state of affairs when people rush away from their turkey dinners to stand in bone-crushing lines for a flat-screen TV. I try to remember that everyone marches to their own drum, but alas, it seems our venerable holiday might soon become known as “the day before Black Friday.” 

The news that day was dark indeed. A near-riot broke out as consumers battled for $2 waffle irons while elsewhere parking-lot marauders robbed shoppers of their goods. In one store, bargain hunters stepped over a fallen heart-attack victim to continue their spree, but the year’s most bizarre performance belongs to the consumer who pepper-sprayed other patrons to get an XBox 360.        

  It’s enough to rattle the convictions of even the staunchest optimists as we wonder where the true spirit of the holidays has been hiding. I’m happy to report that I think I came across it with some inspiring local news: a selfless act by a gentleman in our community, whom I’ll call Rob, was recently brought to my attention by his family and friends. It’s especially telling that they did so in clandestine fashion, as he personally insisted that no fuss be made about it. Rob has lived in Senate District 7 with his wife and children for several years, and has served as a volunteer firefighter for the past three. But his firefighting isn’t the catalyst for this story. Rob is saving a life in a very different way.   

  You see, Rob had listed himself as a donor on the bone marrow registry for more than 16 years, and in November he was contacted about a match. The person was suffering from leukemia and, after being treated with radiation and chemotherapy, was finally ready for a bone marrow transplant. All Rob was told was that his match was a 43-year-old woman who desperately needed his help. Without questions or deliberation, he underwent a lengthy testing process, and on Nov. 30, had just about two quarts of bone marrow extracted from his pelvic bone while under general anesthesia.

  Understand that it is extremely rare to match a non-relative recipient, but fate put Rob in the position to help save a life. Although he never met the woman and knew nothing about her, he was willing to go through a painful procedure to give her a second chance at life. As I write this, he is recovering from the procedure and I ask for your prayers for both him and his match. She’s a fighter, he’s a hero, and their story is indicative of the goodness that can be found in our hearts, rather than on sale.

  I think there’s something to be said about the character of those who work or volunteer as emergency service workers, officers and firefighters. Many of them have conditioned their minds for great sacrifice well beyond the usual circumstances they face. We’re fortunate for that, so if you see one, why not offer a simple “thank you” for all they do? I would think they’d like to hear it, especially at this time of year. 

Whether you love the hustle and bustle of the season or you find it maddening, most will agree that it’s easy to let it distract us. There’s certainly a place for all the shopping, decorating and parties so long as we remember that they exist to help us celebrate greater things, not obscure them. Just look around for stories like Rob’s and you’ll know that the greatest gifts are ones that can’t be bought. Visit www.marrow.org, and discover how you can save a life.   

Sen. Jack Martins

Mineola