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Thoughts for the New Year
Share your time and
your talents
By Kathy Magoto
Happy Holidays! How did this phrase go from being preferred to
barely acceptable? This is just another example of the
pendulum swinging too far left before it heads toward the
right. Personally I have nothing against the “all
encompassing terminology. We have Thanksgiving, Christmas and New
Years closely together and these are the holidays that affect the
majority of us locally, but perhaps we know or have friends that
celebrate Hanukkah or Kwanzaa.
I started saying Happy Holidays in the early 90’s because I was working
in a larger town with more diversity and, besides, it was just simpler
to say “Happy Holidays” versus, “Enjoy your Thanksgiving, have a Merry
Christmas and a Happy New Year”. Personally using the catch
phrase never meant I had abandoned my Christian observances.
When I bought the flower shop in the mid 90’s I went back to wishing
everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New year, because I knew the
people and they knew me. Words are used to convey
information or sentiments. Although some people have a talent for
saying the right thing at the right time, most of us are average
communicators. Nonetheless, what matters is the sentiment
that we are attempting to convey. This means the listener must go
deeper than our superficial words.
We have all had someone pay us a compliment in one breath and ask a
huge favor with their next breath, which makes their compliment rather
hollow. Now have you had someone offer their assistance because
they wanted to be of service or had a pleasant conversation with
someone off the cuff? Those people have taken a genuine interest
in you, to you their sincerity feels marvelous. In my opinion
that’s the real litmus test . . . how the person makes us
feel! So no matter what words we use to convey our
sentiments; let them be heartfelt and sincere. And let the
positive sentiments, of both word and action, continue throughout 2013.
I extend a heartfelt wish for a healthy, happy and prosperous 2013 for
us all. May the best day we’ve ever had be the worst day we
ever see.
Consider sharing your time and talents with others. One way is by
attending or helping out at the community meal, which is held every
Wednesday from 5:00 – 6:30 pm in the Versailles Trinity Lutheran
basement. Attending occasionally or regularly is a
great way to renew old ties and build new relationships.
Remember: A bad habit is like an easy chair – easy to get into
but hard to get out of.
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