You will forgive us if we look past Halloween for a moment to consider the two big holidays that are on the horizon — Thanksgiving and Christmas.
By just about every measure, they are the “Big Two,” holidays and we are already seeing signs of their impending arrival. Stores are already filled with the trappings of both Thanksgiving and Christmas, often to our dismay. The idea that we’ll be navigating aisles filled with these holiday-related items for the next 30 to 60 days dilutes the spirit of the season. It’s often true that we are sort of sick of it all by the time the holidays arrive.
But in another respect, there is a part of this run-up to the holidays that adds rather than detracts from the holidays in a very meaningful way.
On Monday, the Columbus Community Benefit Committee, working with the Salvation Army, began the city’s annual Thanksgiving Turkey Drive. Soon, church and civic clubs will be kicking off their own holiday giving campaigns. The Salvation Army is gearing up for its annual Angel Tree and Red Kettle campaigns.
There will be no shortage of opportunities to magnify the true meaning of these holidays through giving.
Shifting our focus to serving others is often a great way to orient our thinking in these weeks leading up to Thanksgiving and Christmas. When we donate items or volunteer for programs that benefit our less fortunate neighbors, we immunize ourselves from the cynicism that today’s over-commercialized holidays have come to represent for many of us.
Donate a turkey, pick up a name off an Angel Tree or stuff cash in a Salvation Army Kettle. Participate in your church or civic club holiday drives. Choose your own family and help them privately.
Any of these opportunities changes the dynamics of the holidays. You’ll feel good about yourself, good about the holidays. When Thanksgiving and Christmas arrive, you’ll be thankful not only for your good fortune, but for having been blessed to be in the position to have helped others and have followed through on it. Giving is truly the best tonic for holiday weariness.
Don’t miss out on the opportunities.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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