No one is a lone island and no one lives only for themselves. To a large extent, we owe who we are to the generations that came before us. Grandmothers and Grandfathers are precisely those who, in the autumn of their lives, can see the fulfillment of their dreams and efforts in our actions. Looking at it from this perspective, we owe them gratitude, which we try to show in various ways.
This year's Grandmother and Grandfather's Day in Ocice was particularly festive, as it was combined with a Christmas wafer gathering for Seniors. For Sunday, January 23, all the Grandmothers and Grandfathers received invitations, attractively made by the pupils, to the village community center, for a carefully prepared celebration. Several weeks earlier, our librarian, Mrs. Bernadeta Biegacz, began making arrangements to ensure that the event would be worthy of its participants. The village head of Ocice, Mrs. Stanisława Potocka, sponsored the event, but also took an active part, together with the student council and its supervisor, Ewa Merdas, in such prosaic tasks as decorating the hall and setting the tables. The performances by the little ones—the grandchildren—prepared by Mrs. Lidia Dąbal were very charming.
Beata Olesiak, the school catechist, prepared a solemn oratorio that was warmly received by the audience. The school principal, Cezariusz Rudyk, took care of the technical side of the celebration, operating the sound equipment lent by the friendly School No. 5 in Bolesławiec, but he truly won all the Grandmothers' hearts with his perfect guitar playing, also accompanying the oratorio. Special recognition is due to Father Edmund Tkocz, who came with the Christmas wafer and sang carols, hymns and songs with the Seniors until late, despite having fainted at the altar during the morning Mass. The main organizer, Bernadeta Biegacz, took care of everything—even ensuring that delicious cake appeared on the tables. The organizers' efforts were rewarded by tears of emotion and gratitude on the faces of the Grandmothers and Grandfathers, whom we sincerely thank for their numerous attendance, memories, warm words and reflections—for allowing us to enjoy one another's presence in peace. We wish them many cheerful, healthy years and dare to invite them next year, aware that much of the goodness in us is precisely the fruit of their efforts. We can only hope that, thanks to the efforts of the Village Council, the Commune Head and the Commune Council, we will be able to meet in the new community center planned for this year.