Focusing On What Matters
Thursday night was the annual tree lighting on our town common. This event is put on by my Kiwanis Club – we decorate the common with garland and bows and lights, we serve free hot apple cider and apple crisp, we arrange for entertainment and we find sponsors and I, as president of the club get to MC the evening. I thought I’d share with you one portion of my speech that I think we all need to keep in mind over the next two weeks.
As President of the Kiwanis Club of East Bridgewater, I want to welcome all of you to our annual tree lighting event on the town common. We are so glad you are here to kick off the Christmas season in East Bridgewater!
I just have a few words I want to share before we get on with tonight’s program. I know how hard it is make time to attend an event like this. We all lead incredibly busy lives, particularly so during the month of December. We have jobs to go to and children to care for. We have meals to prepare and friends and family to entertain. We have shopping to finish and packages to wrap and so much more that our heads swim when we think of all the things on our to-do lists. But tonight, for just this little while, I am asking you to put those things aside. Instead of wondering what you are going to buy for that last person on your Christmas list, I want you to focus on how beautiful our town common looks during this season. Instead of planning when you are going to bake Christmas cookies, I want you to listen to the voices of children raised in song. And instead of wondering where all the money for the gifts and the food is going to come from, I want you to think about how wonderful it is to be part of this community tonight. There is nothing like the spirit of the season to make us all open our eyes a little wider and take in the magic – the magic of lights and music, the magic of beautifully decorated trees – the magic of Christmas.
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Beautiful. Loved it when I heard it Thursday night. Merry Christmas
You beautifully summed up the essence of the season that too often gets lost in the rush. Great job!
Perfect!
Beautifully said and inspiring. Just what we all need to keep in mind. You write splendidly, Carole!
simply beautiful! and a wonderful reminder. have a great week!
You are very wise! Your town must have had a very fun night, in deed!
Well said Carole.
Beautiful Speech Carole! So very true 🙂
Wise words Carole!
Nicely said….sometimes we have to stop if just for a moment to just be in the moment.
Very true Carole. And a good reminder to us all.
Hear, hear.
Very well said! We all need to remember to slow down and enjoy the season as well as prepare for it.
Well spoken!!
That’s lovely, Carole! Perfect… and it wouldn’t hurt to read that at least once a day between now and next year!
🙂
Beautiful! (Perfect, in fact.)
What a wonderful reminder of the season. Thanks for sharing.
Y’know, I couldn’t help but think while reading your speech, “This is how busy the WOMEN are. The men, not so much.” It seems that the task of creating holidays falls mainly on the female of the species. So when she, i.e., me, fails to bake the cookies, buy all the gifts, decorate the house inside and out, etc., etc., etc., Christmas become simply the time when we all get together and laugh and eat pizza. Not a bad thing, really.