The reason to be joyful this year
Yes, we should give of ourselves all year long -- so many in
Newport-Mesa do. But it does make sense to give a little more this
time of year.
The difference between the haves and have-nots seems magnified
during the holidays.
Those without have to watch commercial after commercial telling
their kids all the joy that’s to be had if they just owned this or
that toy. They have to be reminded what they can’t give the ones they
love. Advertisements, movies and grocery stores remind many of the
Christmas feast they can’t afford.
Whether it’s been a bad year or a hard life, it can’t be joyful to
realize the holidays are coming and you’re in for another two months
of having all things you can’t afford thrown in your face.
Probably worse than the financial woes is the loneliness that can
creep up while others plan for trips back home and holiday
gatherings. It’s no secret that this time of the year is the hardest
for many. Sadness is made even more bitter when we are told
constantly we should be happy.
We’re fortunate here that these problems are relatively few and
far between. Huge Christmas trees are the norm, not the exception.
Shops are filled with people who can afford to put presents beneath
the Christmas tree and stuff the stockings that hang by the chimney
(with care).
But even here, amid so much wealth, fortune and luck, there are
folks who aren’t having a joyful holiday. For them, we’re most
fortunate that so many among us work to ease their pains.
Doing so speaks to the true meaning of this time of year.
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