Good morning neighbor!
I was watching my twin 7-year-old grandsons Owen and Travis decorate their Christmas tree the other night and enjoyed the pure joy and innocence of the act. Nothing made them happier in that moment. Then, it was off to 8-year-old grandson Justin’s to spend some time with him, and I found myself immersed in the same atmosphere.
That got me to thinking about the holiday season and how I hear so many times from the adults around me, or those I haven’t seen in a while but happen to run into on the street, about how stressed they are, and I realized I don’t see the same joy and excitement, even in myself at times.
I don’t think it’s necessarily because we’ve become more cynical or jaded, though that plays into it sometimes, but that we’re just too busy. We need to slow down and find some perspective. I mean, what’s more important than spending time with friends and family at any time of the year?
Sometimes we worry too much about what the table looks like, how the food tastes or whether the decorations are just right.
Recently I spoke with two women who are true examples of the spirit of the season.
The woman known to many of you as “Christmas Carol” has been standing in all sorts of weather and temperatures at Stop & Shop for the past 18 years, ringing the ever-familiar bell that accompanies a Salvation Army kettle.
She told me recently that no matter how much or how little she has had over those years, it has given her tremendous joy to help others in need, and she has always been grateful for whatever she has at the time. She said she’ll continue to stand at the kettle each year until she can no longer do so. You’ll be hearing more about her in a story I wrote for the Recorder.
Then, there’s Patricia, who found herself homeless for four years and now helps others who are currently suffering the same fate. You’ll hear more about her, as well.
I’m not going to get on my soapbox and tell you who you should be, what you should do or how you should feel. You have to decide that for yourself.
Instead, I’m just going to wish all of you wonderful neighbors a happy holiday.
Senior Reporter Anita Fritz grew up in Franklin County after moving from Spokane, Wash., when she was just a few weeks old. She is the West County reporter for the Greenfield Recorder. She covered Greenfield for eight years and has served as features editor for the Recorder and editor for the Athol Daily News.