Holiday Season

November 21, 2024

The holiday season is upon us. Yes, it seems a little early, but Black Friday sales are here and many Christmas presents are already hidden in the closet. The Christmas trees are going up; holiday parties are penciled on the calendar; and those ugly sweaters are being dusted off.

Once we make it through the Thanksgiving turkey, there will be no stopping us.

These next few weeks are the perfect time to reflect on our blessings and seek out ways to make life better for those around us.

In the wise words of Mother Theresa, “It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into the giving.”

This season, let’s focus on the whole picture. Choose the perfect present for your loved ones by putting thought into the effort. No one wants socks and dish towels for Christmas. We women want books, artwork, candles, jewelry, journals and men apparently actually want tools, fishing poles and hunting rifles. I think you get the point.

While you are choosing those awesome gifts, remember to help out your community at the same time. Keep as many of those dollars at home as possible... shop locally and watch those dollars circulate. At first glance, you may say ‘there’s nowhere here to shop.” I challenge you to look around. There are a long list of awesome shops in Mississippi County. And don’t forget, we all love gift cards to our favorite local restaurants. Hey, you might even want to purchase a subscription to The Times for that relative who loves her hometown paper.

Just remember, we are in this together.

It’s a time to be grateful for the family and friends who love you; and most importantly, for the God who never leaves our side, no matter how undeserving we are. It’s also time to appreciate this great community in which we live.

Most of you know, I grew up on a farm. I am the youngest of 10 children of an Arkansas Delta sharecropper. Every year when Thanksgiving rolled around, we truly celebrated. The harvest had just been completed and it was the only time of the year we had any money to pay our bills. Yes, “I’ll pay you after harvest,” was a real thing.

We didn’t even think about the Christmas holiday until after Thanksgiving. Let’s face facts. If the harvest was not abundant, Christmas would be slim.

As I think back on my childhood, it is Thanksgiving Day which brings me the biggest smile. We really did all gather around the huge dining room table, filled with the most delicious food you could image. We gave thanks for the harvest, but what I remember most is my mom’s smile as she looked around the room at her huge family. I now know, she was probably exhausted after cooking for days, but at that moment all I knew was how much she loved her family.

As another Thanksgiving approaches without my mom, I feel the sadness of my heart. There is just something about holidays and moms that go hand-in-hand. Once you have lost your mom, nothing is ever the same.

Yet, I am very blessed this year and eager to share those blessings. The one thing I truly learned from my parents is that no matter how little you may have, there is always someone in more need than yourself. I can’t tell you how many times, as a child, I watched my dad take boxes of groceries out of our house and give them to someone in need. Folks, this is what it is all about. So, this Thanksgiving I wish your family love, joy, hope, and peace...

Sandra Brand is the editor of the NEA Town Courier and The Osceola Times. She may be reached by phone at 870-563-2615 or by email at brand@osceolatimes.com.