There may not be snow on the ground, but Christmas is definitely in the air.
You may have taken advantage of the recent spell of dry weather to put up decorative lights. The Santas are now all ensconced at local malls. And the hype for seasonal sales is building.
It’s hard to escape the commercial trappings of Christmas. Nor should we. Livelihoods depend on it. But amidst the hustle and bustle of the next month, it’s important to take some time out to think about, and reach out to, those who don’t have the means to indulge, who can’t afford to get their kids the latest toy sensation, who don’t have proper winter coats in their closets, who can’t put a holiday feast on their dinner table, who may not even have a home to keep them warm.
There’s no shortage of groups and organizations who work hard all year to help make life a little easier for people who are struggling. Those struggles are magnified in the holiday season, and all the expectations it brings.
For those of us hustling from store to store, fulfilling wish lists, it takes but a moment to drop some spare change into the Salvation Army red kettle at the front door, or to drop a winter coat, mittens or hats at a business holding a coat drive, or to place a few cans of hearty soup in the food bank box at the grocery store. Better yet, pitch in by volunteering some time and energy to those worthy groups.
They’re small gestures but for those on the receiving end, they’re blessings.
And isn’t that what Christmas is all about?
–Black Press