As the chill of autumn gives way to winter weather, thoughts of the holidays begin to fill the minds of children and adults. An important and often overlooked aspect of Thanksgiving, is the "giving of thanks". In today's economy, many families are finding themselves without the essentials for survival much less the extras for a holiday meal. As you plan your holiday events, if you can share food, blankets, coats and shoes for those less fortunate, you will give others the opportunity to be thankful as well. Contact your local homeless shelter, food bank, Salvation Army or Goodwill to discover the emergency needs of people in your community; then set about to help them. Notify coworkers, church groups, your family members, boy scout, girl scout groups and other social groups you are involved in that you are gathering donations to help those less fortunate; encourage others to participate with your efforts or begin their own. This is the season of thanks and giving, make sure that you celebrate the holidays in a way that focuses less on the commercial and more on the quality of life; You will be happy you did.
