The holiday season is upon us. The evidence is everywhere. First, my newspaper is much heavier. Holiday decorations are sprouting up like bulbs in spring. Window trimmings in department stores are showcasing the latest and greatest gifts. When I was a child, Thanksgiving signaled the start of the Christmas and Chanukah. Times have changed with retail extending the shopping season as long as possible. In the future, can we expect holiday circulars on or around the Forth of July?
Let’s now celebrate Thanksgiving. This holiday clearly represents who we are as Americans. We should pause and be thankful for all that we are and all that we have in this great country. My hope is that we all stop and be thankful. Share with others and perhaps they will share what makes them thankful.
I have much to be thankful for in my life. I am thankful for my wife, Betsy, pets Lily, Oliver and Wendell (you see, we provide Oliver and Wendell Homes), family and the people I can call friends. I am also thankful for my association with the extraordinary giving people that head up Emory Hill. I am thankful for those who work with me and especially my friend and partner Dana. On a grander scale I am thankful to live in America and be able to celebrate this holiday.
Along with the thanks we give and get, let us not lose sight of those in need of help during these tough economic times. This will undoubtedly be the most challenging of times for many who are suffering. Foreclosures, unpaid bills and unemployment are but a few holiday spoilers. It’s hard to muster up spirit when you have lost all you have not to mention those who have been suffering for years. Get the spirit and help someone.
Chrissy Tackett along with Tia Clifton both from the Emory Hill Companies organized many of us to cook Thanksgiving Turkeys or sides or to give money to be donated to those less fortunate. This is what the holiday represents. I am excited to cook a turkey with some of my Realtor associates. It is a great bonding experience and will help someone enjoy their Thanksgiving. Check around and see if you can lend a hand to someone in need. Perhaps you could take a few hours and work at a shelter or the Emmanuel Dining Room. Ask those around you how they are doing. You may be surprised to know that some of your closest friends and acquaintances are in need this season. Pride often stands in the way of asking for help. Inquire further and help them enjoy the season. For those of you that are too proud to ask for help; there are times when we all need a hand.
It’s time to start thinking of community. We are living in strange times, with global financial uncertainty, a real estate market that is floating in an abyss and differences being promoted over commonalities. Maybe today is when we should start paying it forward for all of the good times. It’s a start. So for now, I hope this holiday season starts out with a feeling of thankfulness.
For me and my family, thinking of others in their time of need is always The Right Direction.
