Two cuties at last year’s Friendly House Christmas party. This year WORCESTER’S FRIENDLY HOUSE NEEDS VOLUNTEERS AND TOYS FOR THEIR KIDS CHRISTMAS PARTY on Sunday, December 20! Starting at 2 p.m. They’re located at 36 Wall St. Please donate new, unwrapped gifts for 10-12 year old kids; please volunteer on party day, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. – shifts available!

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TODAY!

TODAY! Friday, December 11

At the Kelley Square Gulf Station on the corner of Madison and Harding streets!

Free refreshments!

Caroling!

Horse wagon rides!

Pictures with Santa Claus!

Be merry! Be there!

THANK YOU, LORRAINE LAURIE, FOR MAKING THIS HAPPEN – EVERY YEAR!

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Holiday Thanks

By Edith Morgan

“Tis the season! We go breathlessly through these days, and many of us scarcely have the time to stop and think about the past year, and its gifts to us.

So, just maybe, this year, how about taking time out from feasts, ball games and marathon shopping trips, and giving a little thought to our blessings?

Most of us have so much that we take for granted: family, friends, a roof over our heads (“be it ever so humble, there is no place like home”), regular meals, warm clothing for the oncoming winter, and above all, the freedom to speak up, move about freely, make all sorts of choices that are not available in many places throughout our world. We have innumerable opportunities to learn, in our schools, our libraries, and from each other.
 
As we get older, and understand more about what enriches our lives, the things we give thanks for change. Reading the essays by grade school children, we gather that they are appreciative about those things with which they have experience: their families, their teachers, their pets, etc. As they get older, and their worlds expand, children begin to understand the intricate support networks that support their existence. And finally, as they go out in the world, they learn to appreciate the great web of interdependence available to them.
 
Here, we often take the blessings of liberty for granted. We forget how hard was the fight that ensured we could exercise them – and how piecemeal the achievement: our original founders recognized only white, male, property owners as having all the rights of citizenship. It took much longer to enfranchise former slaves, minorities, and lastly, women. So, let us give a shout of thanks for all the brave souls who fought tirelessly to take their rightful place at the holiday table.
 
On a personal note: I have been very fortunate in so many aspects of my life: being saved from the Nazi horror, coming to America at the last minute (we got here just 3 months before Pearl Harbor), parents who were there for me, and the opportunity to have a career doing what I loved: Teaching. I have good health, a lovely old home, and a husband who loves me. My best friends have been that for over 40 years, and I can pursue many goals.

The best way I know to show gratitude this holiday season is to “give back” – give  help in many ways, to as many as I can!

Happy holidays!