Without a doubt, the Christmas season is a special time for each of us this year. We may have problems of our own within our family, our community, or our county, but during the past several months, we have been reminded that we have much to be thankful for.

Many of us would like to think that things should return to the simple times we remember as children--when families spent more time together, when people were more willing to help their neighbors, when computer and electronic technology did not complicate our lives, and when a person's word was his bond. Since we can't return to more simple times, we should consider the many blessings we enjoy today and to be thankful for them.

Families today have the opportunity to interact with each other and with other people much more than they ever have before. Our mobile society allows us to meet new and different people almost on a daily basis. Our business association with these people allows us the opportunity to learn more about their values and the challenges they face in their everyday lives.

When we choose to do so, we have greater opportunities to become involved in church, community, and civic activities. Many times we do this not as an individual but as a family. Our spouses and our children gain from this involvement, and they meet new people and learn new ideas.

The damaging hurricanes of recent years, the tragic events such as our nation has recently endured, and the unfortunate situation of many of our citizens without jobs have seemed to bring out the best in most of us. We have opened our hearts, and often have opened our wallets, like never before. We have done this not because we were required to do so, but because we truly have compassion and feelings for those less fortunate than us, and we want to express those feelings in any way possible.

We may often joke about how computers and electronic technology have made our lives so complicated. But as we learn more about how to use this technology, the more comfortable we are using it and the more ways we find that this technology allows us to accomplish more than we have ever done before.

At this special time between the Christmas season and a new year, we have a special reason to consider our blessings. We have learned from the newspapers and televisions that even with the current events faced by our nation, our lives are not as complicated as the lives of many people in other areas of the world. We have learned that even though we may have difficulties, people in other areas of the world are facing far greater difficulties than we are. As we look closer to home, no matter what our situation, we don't have to look very hard to find that we are much more fortunate than many others.

The Christmas season should always be a special time of the year. I hope you are making this Christmas season even more special than ever. It's not too late to make the time to spend with family and friends, to consider those less fortunate than you, and above all to remember the true meaning of the Christmas season. If you are an American or are living in America, everything you do and everything you have is possible because of the meaning of Christmas.

On behalf of all of the staff of the Robeson County Center of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, I wish you a Wonderful Holiday Season.

E-mail address: Everett_Davis@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 01/03/02