Friday, November 15, 2013

Give Thanks - Time of Year - By Kelly Mank



I absolutely LOVE this time of year and boy does it come fast. I have the honor in helping Santa every year at the Windham Craft Fair which took place this past weekend. I absolutely love seeing all the joy in children when they see Santa (sometimes that joy comes in screaming and tears) the first time. I love seeing the boosters pull together local community members and crafters to put on an amazing craft fair for our town. The holiday music, the cookies and snacks, the gift wrap, all the unique crafts… how could this not put someone into a great mood and into the holiday spirit.

We need to remember that this is also a time of thanks. We should be thankful for our family, our jobs, our friends and the people who we don’t often give thanks to enough. Our town council and committee members, our local public officials, our school teachers and administrators, our volunteer youth coaches, and so many other people who I just wouldn’t be able to fit on this one insight. Please don’t forget to reach out to these people and make them aware that they are important to you and your community as a whole. 

I love helping and taking part in food drives and toy collections for families and children in need. Pulling together a community to help individual families give children the holiday they deserve is not only an amazing thing, but also a miracle in the making. There are so many acts of kindness done around the holidays that you just never know how much it truly affects someone and the decisions they are making in their life. 

Remember to educate your children on the meaning of the holidays you believe in and celebrate. Be sure they don’t think it is just about getting toys under a tree. Bring them to a food pantry, let them go shopping for toys to donate to children in need, let them help choose a family to sponsor, and most of all love them and show them they are loved. When children feel love they learn how to express love and during the holidays that is so important. 

As the retail businesses gear up for their busy holiday season I would like to personally wish everyone have a stress-free holiday preparation season!

-Kelly Mank


No comments:

Post a Comment