Christmas lights are twinkling. Trees are going up. Festive music is playing. It’s usually around this time of year that the spirit of the season finds us. And not too long after, there comes the panic over Christmas shopping and Charlie Brown-like disaffection with materialism.
We can’t give you any advice on what this year’s hot gift is (although we encourage everyone to shop locally whenever possible).
What we can offer are the timely words of Charles Dickens in A Christmas Carol: It is at this time of year that want is most keenly felt and abundance rejoices. It is a reminder that the true essence of Christmastime is the goodwill we share with others.
We have dedicated a special Giving Tuesday section of this week’s edition to stories about local do-gooders doing good. They’re providing needed surgeries in Guatemala. They’re collecting donations to ensure that Santa finds his way to every family’s home. They’re raising money to ensure our hospital provides the best possible care.
If Black Friday is a rampage of consumerism, then Giving Tuesday is a day to buy back our souls.
There are dozens of non-profits that make our communities better places to be. We guarantee, there is no need to be anxious about whether your gift to them is the right one. These organizations are experts in knowing how to stretch every dollar and use them to improve the lives of others.
Pick a charity or two or three, and make a donation that would make Santa swoon because, as the good book tells us, it is more blessed to give than to receive. Or if you prefer the message in the words of Bing Crosby: The more you give at Christmastime, the more you get.
What are your thoughts? Send us a letter via email by clicking here or post a comment below.
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