The Best Gift of All – Gratitude

I typically love the holiday season with Christmas music, festive lights, holiday cookies, sharing gifts, joyful worship and celebrating with family and friends. In fact, I bet you have some wonderful traditions and fun memories of past holiday gatherings sipping hot chocolate while you excitedly open some presents.

As you can imagine, this Christmas and holiday season will be very different for many of us and your customers and members. It’s no secret COVID has impacted us in so many ways. Whether it be working remotely, wearing masks, school closings, financial stress, or isolation from loved ones—nearly everyone has experienced some degree of anxiety. Yet at the same time, it has also brought us closer together as we share our challenges, our fears and reach out to help our family, friends, customers and members. The last nine months have prompted unprecedented acts of connection, kindness and generosity in nearly every community including yours.

We have a choice to make each day as we approach this Christmas, Hanukkah and 2021. Let’s choose to express gratitude to everyone we touch. You can be a light of encouragement and hope to your family, co-workers, friends and customers. But also remember to be patient and kind to yourself. You’ve been through a lot. We all have. Then be sure to extend your smiles and gratitude to everyone you text, email or speak with in the coming weeks and months. Thank the grocery store clerk, mail carrier, elderly neighbor, hairstylist, health care worker, your boss, co-worker, customers and of course family and friends.

So rather than focus entirely on gifts, traditions, or past holidays, I encourage you to make this season one of empathy and tons of gratitude. Surely you agree, gratitude is the best gift of all! I’d like to thank all of you, my followers and clients for the honor of working with your staff and your much-appreciated business.

Together we will get through this with a spirit of faith and joy. Now let’s bring out the eggnog, stockings and the silly Santa hat!

Blessings,

Barb

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