Thanksgiving is this week, just five sleeps away. If your turkey's a big one, he's probably already taking up the entire bottom shelf in the fridge. You've done your holiday meal shopping, except for the two things you forgot but you really, really don't want to brave the grocery store aisles again.
Today is the 27th Annual Downtown Peru Open House. There will be ice skating under the Big Top and a parade at 6:00 PM when Santa comes to town and to his new house. My daughter's in the parade. She's an elf, but you didn't hear that from me.
The trees will be lit. Stores will be open, papers will be stamped that avow that Yes, you were there! There will be food and music and conviviality.
It is a time of year--or at least a day during the time of year--when the only good thing to post to Facebook is a picture or a thrilled Guess who I just saw! or a thumbs-up for something being well done.
Speaking of Facebook, I just saw a video of Coffee Milano Cafe in Middleboro, MA, that gives free coffee to anyone who comes in dancing one day a month. While I admit, no one has ever been all that excited about seeing me dance, I would do this in a heartbeat. Can you imagine the glee that would go through the staff and other customers as they watched the door to see what steps came next?
It's a great time of year to have lunch with friends. There were ten of us at Rochester Dining, the other day. The place was packed and noisy. At a long table in the middle of the room, WE were packed and noisy. Being ... past our twenties, we don't all hear well, so much of our noise was repeating What did you say?
The generosity all around us is heartening. People are fulfilling others' desperate needs without criticizing their inability to keep all their balls in the air. Virtually no one wants children to be hungry or needy or unhappy through the holidays even if they don't like their parents' choices. They are taking angels from trees, giving to food pantries, and being stealthy secret Santas to brighten Christmas morning faces.
It is the most precious time of year, isn't it? I hope we all keep it so. I hope we make room in our lives for ones who suffer during this time. For those who are homeless, whether it be physically, spiritually, mentally, or emotionally. For ones who have lost, now or recently or long ago, because grief comes without a time clock to punch when we are "over it."
December is coming, along with the beloved story of Christmas Eve when there was no room at the inn.
Making room.
Let's do that--want to? Let's make room for people who need it, for friends to laugh and share time with, for the joys and the not-joys of the season. Have a good week and a wonderful Thanksgiving. Make room. Be nice to somebody.
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