Meet Gretchen from Cobleskill, NY

She currently lives in the home, here in Schoharie County, that was built for her family over 100 years ago! It has been passed along from generation to generation, always staying in the family. Her mother was born in the homestead and she was blessed to have had her final moments alive in that same home. Gretchen recently reach out to us to thank us for our Humanity & Connection series posts. As we are open year ‘round, today she stopped in to do some Christmas shopping in our gift shops. Betsy was honored to share a beautiful conversation with Gretchen about the memories that multiple generations have created here in the Schoharie Valley, including here at Howe Caverns. Just like so many of us, her family is very much looking forward to the upcoming holiday. We also acknowledged that there are many people that may not be feeling the holiday spirit as the season approaches. The one thing Gretchen and Betsy want to tell the world on the start of Thanksgiving week is, “There is so much to be grateful for. Your happiness is really found in the little things. If you’re having a difficult time finding it, we promise you this, the magic is in those moments that may seem mundane. Our hope for you this week is that you can take a moment to step out into nature. Feel the sun on your face. Have a warm conversation with a good soul. Take a deep breaths and have gratitude for simply being alive. Be still and know that everything will be okay.” This week, please find it in your hearts to be a little kinder to each other. Give out a few more hugs and tell a few more people how much you appreciate them and love them. Happy Monday and start to a week of gratitude. Thank you for visiting, Gretchen and thank you for always being so kind and supportive of us here at Howe!