Last-minute mall runs, frantic all-night bakeathons, the dizzying whirlwind of parties...no matter what you believe in, you know this isn’t what a holiday should be about. But your letters showed that meaning can be found many ways — even watching It’s a Wonderful Life, soggy tissue in hand, for the umpteenth time. Find what works for you, take a deep breath, and welcome the season of joy.

This Month’s Winner

The “Nice” List

I start a journal each January to record nice things people do for me — a city worker helping me find my way through a Massachusetts snowstorm, for example, or a gift of fresh raspberries from a volunteer in a mentoring program I work with — as well as the people’s names and addresses. Then, when the holidays roll around, I write to everyone on the list, thanking each of them for making my year special. This goes a long way toward giving significance not only to the holidays but also to the whole year.
Lillian Haversat
Owls Head, Maine
Lillian will receive a copy of the book Real Simple Solutions.

Sweet Charity

We host a “party with a purpose.” Guests bring books to donate to a local hospital that provides them to children living in poverty.
Patty Hennessy Dunn
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Last year my husband, my brother, and I celebrated Christmas Eve together by delivering care packages to homeless men and women. We had decided that we wanted to do something for others on this particularly cold day in Austin, Texas. We gathered new mittens, hats, blankets, lip balm, tissues, and other items, and stopped to pick up a few dozen hamburgers. Then we drove all over town, searching for people living under bridges and sleeping on the streets. The people were warm, welcoming, and most of all thankful. It made us appreciate the blessings we have in our own lives. This year we hope to involve more family members in our venture.
Sommer Maxwell
Leander, Texas

The holidays are not always the easiest time of year to maintain perspective, but this year my family will look to the families of the storm- ravaged Gulf Coast for meaning. These people have lost their homes, their livelihoods, and all their worldly possessions. But the overriding theme among the survivors seems to be gratitude — for their lives, for the safety of their families, and for the people who have reached out to them. In a tribute to that attitude and to the spirit of the season, we will forgo the usual gift-giving and make a contribution to the Red Cross for the victims of Hurricane Katrina so we can play a small part in preserving their hopefulness.
Trish Wethman
Chester Springs, Pennsylvania

No matter how busy we are, my sister and I make sure to take a couple of bell-ringing shifts at a Salvation Army kettle. We get to see real holiday spirit (giving) and delicious holiday fun (shopping), and we are forced to be still for a few precious hours. We talk to each other, greet and thank people, and enjoy festive decorations and the crisp December weather that we might otherwise be too busy to appreciate.
Robin Chandler-Miles
Pocomoke City, Maryland