It’s the day after Christmas, and if your house is like mine, bags of crumpled wrapping paper piled up under the carport and enough leftovers for a week.
The spirit of Christmas doesn’t have to be end. We need to remember the generosity of some folks in our midst and pay forward their giving spirit all year.
The people in Pecan Grove understand what the holiday spirit is all about.
For decades, families have decorated their yards for the Christmas season, and people drive from all over to see the lights.
We know about this first hand since we lived in Pecan Grove for over 20 years.
Our boys were toddlers when we moved in, and we told them the lights were a Texas way of welcoming us to their midst.
Pecan Grovers are still welcoming, and this year, neighbors outdid themselves. Visitors were welcome to take pictures in front yards. At the “Frozen” house, the owners dressed as Anna and Elsa and greeted visitors every night.
One home encouraged people to take pictures with their yard signs. A neighbor dressed up as The Grinch and handed out candy canes.
But what touched so many was the Facebook Wish List where people in Pecan Grove could nominate families needing a helping hand and receive the help they needed and much more.
Even though we moved, administrator Paul Christy invited me to stay as a member of the Facebook group, and I’ve been reading the incredible responses to people in need.
Sometimes it was a family asking for help, a neighbor with a debilitating disease, someone out of work, a single parent trying to make ends meet. The wishes were granted above and beyond what was asked.
People banded together and gave thousands of dollars in gift cards, donated frozen meals to those unable to cook, donated bicycles, groceries, toys and furniture.
They made connections for employment for those out of work and provided hope for those unsure of where to reach out for help.
Not only was the list of items provided more than what the family asked for, the bounty was made possible by neighbors who chipped in to bring an abundance of Christmas cheer.
That’s what a whole neighborhood can do when they have a mission, but young families, like Coy and Lisa Elliott, also spread holiday cheer.
Our eldest son, Nick, has been friends with Coy since they were in high school.
Coy, his wife, Lisa, and their three sons were part of their church effort to deliver food and supplies to the homeless in downtown Houston.
But the Elliotts went past that Christmas charity.
They found out about three elderly veterans at a local nursing home who seldom received visitors.
The Elliotts went to the nursing home and brought slippers and gifts to these men who served their country when asked and were now in the twilight of their lives with few visitors left to see them.
The Elliotts not only brought smiles to these men’s faces, they taught their sons the true meaning of charity and good will.
I was picking up some last-minute Christmas gifts with my sister-in-law who’s battled rheumatoid arthritis all of her adult life. Things are tight for them as medical bills keep rising, and my brother had to get a new job as his company was closing.
On our way out of the store, my sister-in-law reached over and handed an elderly lady sitting some cash and told her to have a Merry Christmas. I never even thought of randomly giving a stranger a gift, but she did.
She reminded me of an invaluable lesson – to preserve our humanity and to make the world a better place, we need to keep that spirit alive year round, and not just at Christmas.
There will always be those who suddenly find themselves in trouble – if we all reach out together, we can make a positive difference.
There will always be a lonesome person in a nursing home – let’s remember them at holidays throughout the year.
There will always be someone in need. Let’s remember it is truly more heart-warming to give rather than receive.
And let’s keep that holiday spirit alive each and every day of the year.
This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald.