It’s that time of year again. Black Friday has passed and hopefully we all survived.
Carols don the airwaves. Tree lots miraculous sprouted, and even if you live in a sunny California, as I do, you get frosted trees—bringing at least the appearance of winter into your very own home.
The Holiday spirit is in full swing. Kitchens are rich with baked cookies, cakes, and pies. Offices are filled with merry parties and pleasant social chatter. We line up in the department stores to buy toys for our children.
But what if the holidays are not “the most wonderful time of the year?”
What if the holidays leave you feeling blue instead of all wrapped in ribbons and bows with that sparkly tingly feeling of joy? What if you are abandoned and alone?
For the unfortunate fact is that many dread the holiday season. Many have little if anything to look forward to in the upcoming year. Many feel the closing of the current year only marks one more calendar year of a life not well-lived. And many are in this state of mind due to unfortunate circumstances and by no cause or fault of their own.
This is the underbelly of the holiday season that we tend to dismiss or worse ignore. This is what prompts us to write those generous checks to charity in the effort of telling ourselves that we care.
And while this is all needed and wonderful, it is at times not enough, at least not for the recipients of our charity donations and gifts.
For fact is, people need people. Yes, they need the means and ways to survive and meet basic needs such as food, shelter, and clothing; but humans are social beings and social beings need more than what money alone can provide.
People need to be appreciated, valued, listened to and heard. People need to feel worthy and loved. And most of all people need to feel needed. Humans as a whole need to feel like they belong somewhere, have something of value to contribute, and that they matter.
So how can we turn holiday blues into holiday bliss for ones who feel undervalued, unloved, and worse unneeded?
Simple. We find a way to provide them a fit, a place where they belong, a place where their voices are heard and their lives valued. We provide them a means where they can provide a value and service and importance to others, to the world as a whole, to us as individuals. We show them that we care and we believe that they matter, their lives matter, they have much left to contribute.
We provide hope.
This is easy to accomplish. And often free of charge. All it really requires is the investment of your time and an open mind and a receptive ear.
Five Ways to Show Others They Are Valued, Loved and Matter:
- Visit a shelter and listen to the stories of the ones living there.
- Spent time at a senior’s home. You will be amazed at what wisdom they will impart to you.
- Visit a hospital. If you have a service animal make rounds with the animal. Children and the elderly love this.
- Volunteer at a Soup Kitchen and don’t just serve a meal, serve up a conversation. Open your ears and listen!
- Volunteer with our Veterans. Hear their stories. Let them know how much their sacrifice for our country means to you. Thank them. Your local VA is a great resource for this
Read more posts by Alison Blasko, a contributing blogger for JenningsWire.
JenningsWire.com is an online feature magazine created by National Publicist, Annie Jennings, of the PR Firm specializing in providing publicity services and book promotion to authors, speakers and experts. Annie’s firm offers the famous pay for placement publicity program as well the powerful radio talk show campaign that comes up a guarantee of performance, bookings on big radio talk shows in major cities as well as unlimited media training.
