Season’s Greetings from Jasen, Esther,

and the Staff of CEC Associates

Ruby Green Singing

James Chapin (1887-1975)

There is a long tradition of using art on greeting cards to convey sentiments in respect to a particular event or holiday. So we have taken up that idea and created a season’s greeting card for our friends and colleagues with a work of art that we think illustrates our primary sentiment at this time of year.

Much of the art on cards is derived from religious content. We chose our art to convey a sense of gratitude, which, while not necessarily thought of as religious, signifies our feelings for this season. We chose gratitude because we are exceedingly grateful for our friends, our clients, and our lot in life. Further, and not incidentally, we chose gratitude because it is one of the “Values in Action” that are at the heart of Positive Psychology. (“Gratitude: It is important to appreciate each day that you are alive.”) We are strong advocates of Positive Psychology methods, especially as they relate to, and inform, our work in disability management in the workplace.

Ruby Green Singing is, we believe, a painting that makes obvious the gratitude sentiment. This painting was created in 1928. It was painted by a New Jersey resident named James Chapin. Chapin studies art in New York City, and also, as with most artists of the day, in Paris. He taught for a time at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia.

Ruby Green was a graduate of the Julliard School of Music and was well known as a soloist and gospel singer in the New York City area. She frequently sang the role of Bess in George Gershwin’s opera, Porky and Bess, including that special role in a touring company that visited Europe and Israel at the time. While the painting reflects Ruby’s religious intensity, it also, we believe, conveys a deep sense of gratitude. We were taken by what we believe is a great illustration of gratitude, and we wanted to share it with everyone.

As we mentioned, we are grateful for the hand that life has dealt us and, especially, for having all the talented friends and colleagues we have. We would like to hear from anyone else out there who is also grateful, and for what.

What are you grateful for this holiday season?