It’s getting on to that time of year.
Thanksgiving leftovers are squared away, Santa is popping up everywhere, and the Christmas TV specials and promotional efforts are in full swing.
Over the years we have grown to love and loathe Christmas in equal parts. There is nothing like that feeling of love for our fellow men and women that comes from sharing the spirit of the season.
Of course, all this holiday cheer would feel so much better if it weren’t being used like a club to beat consumers over the head. In this country we have combined peer pressure and a heavy dose of advertising into a culturally institutionalized compulsion to go out and shop, shop, shop, to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
There is no denying the Christmas holiday looms large for the American economy and a collective failure to embrace the commercial side of Christmas portends a very real dollars and cents impact on our economy.
However it is also true that the spirit of Christmas doesn’t come with a dollar amount. It comes from within. We suggest the true spirit of the season has less to do with shopping and everything to do with sharing.
For those so inclined, there are plenty of opportunities to share the spirit, and the need has never gone away.
There is the Family Holiday Wishes effort. You should be seeing the wish trees out and about in public places. Grab one ticket and grant one wish. It might be a small thing for you but it could mean the world to somebody else.
As they have been since the start of this recession, local food pantries are hard pressed to serve their current need, never mind the seasonal swelling of requests for assistance. One extra can or box of food could go a long way.
Of course, at this time of year, the cold weather reminds us the Lincoln County Community Energy Fund will need support this year.
If Thanksgiving is the time to be thankful for the bounty we enjoy, however sparse or plentiful, Christmas is a good time to remember to spread that joy around.
