Get Happy With It!
By the People . . . For the People Serving Central Connecticut www.peoplespressnews.com Wallingford Flower
& Gift Shoppe
190 Center Street. 203.265.1514 January 2009 • Volume 9, Issue 111
TIME TO MAKE A RESOLUTION WE CAN KEEP AND HELP OTHERS IN THE PROCESS By Phyllis S. Donovan Every year as the New Year inexorably approaches, I feel compelled to make the same old resolution I do every year, to get back to my most healthy weight. I know it's most likely due to the fact that I've been scarfing up every holiday goody that has passed under my nose since Thanksgiving. I also know that I'll be doing well if I drop just those last few "holiday" pounds and never even start on the excess weight I was carrying around before the holidays. It doesn't help that friends always say, "You're tall, nobody would ever know how much you weigh." But I know and still I am compelled to make the same dead-end resolution year after year. I rarely last much over one month. This year, it's going to be different. Sure, I'll watch what I eat for awhile, but what good is a resolution that only benefits me? In church, lately, the gospels have dwelt on emulating God and passing along love and good deeds to your neighbor and making a positive difference in the lives of others. It set me to thinking that too often we are caught up in our own single-minded activities and pursuits, especially in the throes of buying and preparing for the holidays. Even though so many of us have a lot less money these days, we continued to expend our energies and spend our dollars to make our own life and the lives of those close to us easier and more enjoyable. Of course, that's only natural. But what have we done lately for others outside of our family circle. Have we done anything "extra" to enhance the lives of people in the community and those less fortunate than we are? I was impressed recently to hear first-hand from a friend involved in the wonderful "Dan M. Hunter Spirit of Giving" event. Local families with special needs or those who have suffered tragedy in their lives during the past year were identified and a whole caravan of Santa's helpers descended on their households just prior to Christmas to sing carols and bestow them with previously wrapped gifts from toys to warm pajamas. I was amazed when I realized the extent of this project and the number of anonymous "good deed doers" this involved. My mother was one of those people who constantly gave of herself in her small Berkshire community. She was always working on projects to help others. People like her and my friend's group who give so much of their time and effort to help others never expect anything in return, except for maybe a grateful "Thank You!" My mother always explained this penchant for helping others as "a way to earn stars in your crown in heaven." She passed away a few years ago and I'm sure, at the time, heaven lit up with the many stars she had earned for her heavenly crown. Every one of us has special talents or interests and ways we can reach out a hand to help others. Some folks show up regularly to work at the local soup kitchen, others spend hours
of their time volunteering at the hospital. We never go there without seeing someone we know. Most of these people are retired now and have some time to spare, unlike the younger generation who must spend the bulk of their time earning a living and raising their family. But that generation too, as busy as they are, finds time to help others. One of our sons is a Little League coach, another spends his time as a Boy Scout chaperone on camping overnights. Our daughter was involved with Girl Scouts for years when her daughter was a Brownie and later a Girl Scout. I like to think that they inherited their interest in volunteering from my mother who passed it down to me and thence to them. For years, when they were growing up, I was one of those people who couldn't say "No!" when asked to help out on anything they were involved in. Once they were grown up and off volunteering on their own, I thought my interest would wane. But no, I had barely retired from work when I started getting involved in volunteer projects. Of course, as anyone who knows me is aware, the Friends of the Library Bookstore has consumed most of my volunteer energies over the past several years. Nothing pleases me more than getting reasonably priced books into the hands of people who don't have a lot of money to spend on the luxury of reading…especially children. June Hadley, one of our most resourceful volunteers, spearheaded this year's project to distribute colorful free book flyers with the backpacks which were given out free to youngsters in the Back To School Expo in the fall. Library Director Karen Roesler arranged to have a Spanish translation included on the back of the flyers which offered a free book to any child bringing the flyer in to the bookstore. This project alone brought throngs of children, with their parents, into the store to check out our books. Thanks again to June, most of the candy bags sold at this year's Kiwanis Kapers included a certificate for a free book to be redeemed at the bookstore. As a result, many folks who had never been to our new store at 35 West Main Street came in and discovered for themselves the many wonderful books we have to share. In a time when antiquarian bookstores and those handling new, even discounted, books are, sadly, closing their doors, the all-volunteer staff at the Friends of the Library Bookstore is determined to keep the store up and running. By providing good quality books at low, buyerfriendly prices to people who love to read or want to learn from the printed word, I'm convinced that by our hard work maintaining this store whose profits go back to the library, we are doing God's work and, incidentally, fulfilling our resolution to benefit others in our small way. Think about what you can do to help others or make a positive difference…and Happy New Year!