Merry Christmas! If you have young children, there’s probably a sea of crumpled wrapping paper and ribbon covering the living room floor.

The kids are playing with the boxes as much as they are the toys, and you’re probably going to stay in your pajamas all day.

Parents are wondering how in the world they’re going to find room for new trains, toy cars and dolls. Then there’s the aggravation of watching them play with their favorite old toys instead of the new ones.

Those with teens have a different kind of silence on Christmas morning. Teens are immersed in cell-phone worlds, listening to music on headphones or tapping away on their laptops.

Those of us who are retired enjoy the peace and quiet, but there’s a feeling of nostalgia for the days when we had little ones in the house.

On this Christmas Day in Pecan Grove, there are families experiencing a blessed holiday who never thought they’d have a happy one this year.

That’s because of the wonderfully generous Pecan Grove Christmas Elves.

Many of us are familiar with Pecan Grove for their Christmas light displays. The subdivision is famous around the Houston area for having incredible light and yard displays.

Thousands of people drive through the neighborhood in December to marvel at the lights and creative ways people decorate their yards.

But what people don’t know is that behind the tinsel and twinkling lights are people who fundamentally understand that Christmas might include making life a little easier for their neighbors.

Behind the scenes, with little fanfare, some of the people in Pecan Grove have made sure those in need have a happy holiday. The Facebook caption is “The Wish,” and this effort has been going on for the past few years.

The group posts a letter from either a person in need in Pecan Grove or a friend who knows that neighbor would never ask for help.

The struggles they face are overwhelming. Lost jobs, health issues, inability to keep up with house maintenance due to illness and more.

But Santa’s elves in Pecan Grove come to the rescue.

For one family, the elves came and cut the grass, shaped up the trees and lawn and got companies to donate to help create a beautiful place in the back yard so the mom could have a beautiful place to recuperate while undergoing chemotherapy.

The elves provided hayrides, gift certificates to local grocery stores and more than the person ever asked for or thought possible.

It’s easy these days where there’s overwhelming bad news, rising prices, and a general depression about the state of the world. That pessimism can overshadow the good that’s happening here in our community.

Many thanks to the people in Pecan Grove for going above and beyond in yard decorating and putting up with traffic snarls and crowded streets to bring strangers holiday joy. The look on children’s faces as they look at the displays is worth a million dollars.

But to know these neighbors also reach out and help those in need is all the reminder I need that the world is going to be just fine.

Their generosity reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from the late Fred Rogers.

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”

Mr. Rogers’ mother was right.

The helpers are right here in our community, neighbors helping neighbors, people helping strangers and angels making sure those in need are comforted.

Thank you, Pecan Grove, for reminding us that giving to those in need is what really keeps the world a holy and loving place.

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

 

This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald.