Last night(Saturday), Lynn and I went to a community Christmas dinner sponsored by a local church in our small town.
In fact, this was one of several "free" or "as close to free" community Christmas dinners being held during the Christmas and holiday season in town.
Right off the top, I'll just say the dinner itself was wonderfully prepared. Turkey; stuffing; mashed potatoes; four types of vegetables; cranberry sauce; gravy. All of that plus apple pie for dessert. It was so good.
Recognizing that there would be hardly a thousand folks residing here in our little town, so to speak along the shore of the Bay of Fundy, having several community dinners is remarkable(at least to me it is).
Nevertheless, a couple of things sort of stood out to me.
First, the sheer number of people who attended. The place was packed. I'm guessing upwards of 150 plus seats were filled just after it got going at 4:30pm.
Now, I'm not entirely sure what the number of people who attended means. And I get that in smaller communities, just about any event will draw folks out. But, a couple of things I mentioned to Lynn.
People perhaps just want to get out and socialize for a bit. And of course, there will be some whose financial circumstances may be tenuous at best, so a free hot meal out would be a real blessing. And unfortunately, there may have been those there, who see this as simply a free meal for the taking. It's free, so I want it. Others may be like Lynn and I, who went to simply meet some people, chat, and partake in a community event.
And as I'm sure, there are a multitude of other reasons as well, as why folks attended.
Secondly, I mentioned to Lynn, that I overheard only a brief bit of a conversation, someone saying that there are so many people in need in this community. Folks with work insecurity; single moms; and seniors on limited fixed incomes. And they suggested(and perhaps rightly so), that having at least three "free or close to free" community dinners was, but one way of helping during the season.
While not trying to read too much into or make the evening more than it actually may have been, something does stand starkly out.
We don't know necessarily the situation people find themselves in.
We might not really know the hurt; pain; loss; or grieving folks may be in. All of these feelings and situations can be amplified a thousand percent during the Christmas and holiday seasons.
I happened to be sitting beside a wonderful older lady, who had lived in the community for about eight years but had lived her entire life within a 30-kilometer radius of the town. In the course of her brief conversation with Lynn and me, she simply threw out that her husband had passed away last January, and that she felt lost in her own home. And that she often wandered from room to room - lost without her partner. Volunteering extensively at the Legion in town, was about the only thing that got her out and with people.
It was difficult to respond to that.
The point is, that we may not know where folks are at. And perhaps the most important thing is she along with everyone who attended were there.
Often we simply don't know. Worse is when we do know and do nothing.
'It is a time, of all others, when Want is keenly felt, and Abundance rejoices'
--as always with love--
--- get outdoors; find inspiration; discover yourself ---
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